Questions and Answers
The police ask you for information about a friend involved in political activities. Do you cooperate fully?
You find an expensive pen in a public lounge. Do you keep it?
Someone you don't really like invites you to an expensive restaurant you'd love to try. Do you go just for the meal?
While a house guest, you accidentally break an expensive china vase. Do you remain silent?
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You are waiting at a red light at 4 a.m. There isn't a car in sight. Do you run the light?
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You're not physically ill, but emotionally, you're exhausted. Do you call in sick to work?
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In a parking lot, you accidentally dent someone's car. Do you leave a note taking responsibility?
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You've accepted a date when someone you REALLY like calls and asks you out for the same night. Do you try to get out of the first date?
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Your business venture fails and you owe your creditors $15,000. You can avoid payment by declaring bankruptcy. Do you?
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You're about to list your house when a friend convinces you to sell it yourself for $23,000 more and you are successful. Do you give your friend a token of appreciation of $1000 or more?
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When cleaning up, you find your teenager's diary. Do you read it?
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Someone has stolen your bike. At the police station, you are shown a similar one that isn't yours. Do you claim it?
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You run a small book shop and a customer says she has lost a credit slip for $4.50. Your clerks don't keep a record of these slips and can't recall all of them. Do you take her word?
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You think the cleaning woman is sipping your booze when you are out. Do you mention it to her?
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A bitter divorce has left you with custody of your young children. Do you make a conscious effort to portray your ex-spouse to your kids without prejudice?
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Your child support payments will be cut in half if you tell your 'ex' about the big raise you just got. Do you tell?
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Your best friend asks to borrow $2000 for a year. Do you charge interest?
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You're unemployed and enjoying the freedom. To collect unemployment insurance, you are expected to look for a job. Do you take the money if you're not?
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You notice that someone has parked and left his headlights on. Do you try to tell someone to find the person to turn them off?
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Your teenage child asks if you ever smoked marijuana. You did. Do you lie to prevent them from taking up the habit?
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The food at the restaurant is a total rip-off but the hurried waitress does her best to provide good service. Do you leave a tip?
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In your opinion, the divorce settlement which awards half of your money to your 'ex' is a travesty of justice. Do you seek illegal ways to avoid payment?
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On an airplane, an old man asks if you will change seats with his wife so they can sit together. You came early to get a window seat and don't like his wife's location. Do you move?
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You and your mate expect loyalty and honesty from one another. One night, out of town, you have a fling. Do you tell?
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You suspect a neighbor is abusing her children. Your attempts to discuss it have been rebuffed. Do you notify the authorities?
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You are attractive, but poor and without skills. Someone offers you a lot of money to work for an 'escort service'. Do you accept?
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During a discussion with a seatmate on a plane, you promise to send a relevant magazine article. Do you actually do it?
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After looking for work for 6 months, you get a good offer from a large weapons maker, which isn't in your field of interest. Do you accept it?
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You hear a woman screaming in the parking lot behind your house in a sketchy neighborhood. Do you try to go out and help her?
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Your lawyer's personal problems have affected his work. You consider him a friend. Do you take your business elsewhere?
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The taxi driver you get at 2 a.m. is drunk and driving recklessly. After he lets you off safely at home, do you report him?
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A fellow nurse is neglecting her work and endangering the patients. Do you speak to a superior if it may jeopardize your colleague's career?
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At a cabaret, you notice a handsome young man dressed to the 'nines'. Except, his vest is inside-out and the label is showing. Do you tell him?
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You are a doctor and have diagnosed a terminal illness to a family and they beg you to keep it from the patient. When the patient asks, do you tell him the truth?
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You have just started a 6-month contract when you are offered an excellent permanent position elsewhere IF you begin immediately. Do you break your contract?
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You reserve seats at a local theater by phone (without paying). A few hours before curtain, you decide not to go. Do you bother to cancel?
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During lunch, a valued client makes some offensive racist remarks. Do you make an issue of it?
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9 dollars in quarters come spilling out of a pay phone. Do you report it?
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You find a wallet containing $300 in cash. By the address, you can tell the owner is wealthy. Do you keep the money but return the wallet?
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While drinking in an out-of-the-way bar, you see a friend's spouse having a romantic private conversation. Do you mention it to your friend?
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A friend wants to copy and swap some expensive software. You know it's illegal. Do you swap?
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The taxi driver asks if he should leave the amount of the fare blank on your receipt. You can claim expenses. Do you indicate that he should?
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You dislike all the political candidates and their parties. Do you vote?
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A friend has forgotten about a book he has loaned you over a year ago. You want the book and can't get another copy. Do you keep it?
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You are a high-school principal. Will you hire a gay teacher?
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You have an essay due in a French language class. Your typist is French. Do you write your essay in English and ask her to translate it?
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You own a restaurant. In the kitchen, you witness a cook drop a lamb chop on the floor, then wash, reheat, and replace it on the plate. Do you reprimand him?
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Friends of yours have let you into a long movie line prompting a growl from somebody behind. A friend of yours comes by and wants in. Do you let him?
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Before your divorce, you and your spouse both worked. Your spouse made a lot of money without any help from you. Do you demand a share of it in the divorce settlement?
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You don't have enough seat belts for all the toddlers you're driving to a puppet show. Do you leave your own kids without belts?
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You promise to sublet your apartment to someone. Another person offers you $100 in return for renting it to him. Do you keep your word to the first party?
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Your roommate left town for a much-needed vacation. Her office calls with an urgent message. Do you tell them where she can be reached?
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A grisly murder in your area causes an outcry and a referendum on capital punishment. Do you vote to restore the death penalty?
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Your 15-year-old daughter needs your permission to get the pill. Do you consent?
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As a professor, regulations require you to fail a student guilty of plagiarism. The student admits to buying the essay. Do you flunk him?
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A close friend will be interviewed for a job with your employer. He asks you for a list of the questions in advance. Do you supply it?
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A friend's fiancé is coming on to you. Do you tell your friend?
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The government has been overthrown by a party that is violent and undemocratic. You are asked to join the underground. Do you?
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You make long-distance calls as part of your work for a middle-sized firm. Do you make private calls if you know they cannot be traced?
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As a famous athlete, you are offered $100,000 to endorse a product you wouldn't use. Do you endorse it?
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Study Notes
Scruples Dilemmas Overview
- Ethical dilemmas explore situations where moral choices are required, often featuring conflicts between personal gain and honesty or responsibility.
- Each scenario reflects varying aspects of ethics, relationships, honesty, and personal integrity.
Key Scenarios and Themes
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Informing Authorities:
- Involves the decision to inform police about a friend (political activities) and the implications of loyalty versus civic duty.
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Property and Theft:
- Cases about finding lost items (pen, wallet) examine honesty and the moral obligation to return them to the owner.
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Social Obligations:
- Invited to dinner by someone disliked challenges the concept of social nicety versus personal preference.
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Responsibility for Damages:
- Breaking a vase as a guest raises questions of accountability and transparency in relationships.
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Traffic Laws and Morality:
- Running a red light at a late hour contrasts legal compliance with situational common sense.
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Emotional vs. Physical Illness:
- Calling in sick despite not being physically unwell delves into work ethics and self-care.
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Accidental Damage:
- Denting a car highlights personal responsibility and ethical behavior after causing unintentional harm.
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Romantic Interests and Honesty:
- Canceling a date for another interest explores fidelity and the complexities of romantic commitments.
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Financial Ethics:
- Deciding whether to declare bankruptcy depicts financial distress versus ethical financial obligations.
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Friendship and Appreciation:
- Selling a house and thanking a friend for help reflects the dynamics of gratitude in personal relationships.
Familial and Personal Relationships
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Privacy vs. Curiosity:
- Reading a teenager's diary questions boundaries of trust and privacy in parent-child relationships.
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Morality in Theft:
- Claiming a stolen bike that isn't yours raises ethical considerations about honesty in potentially wrongful gain.
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Customer Relations in Business:
- Giving credit to a customer without records tests ethical judgment in trust and business practices.
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Workplace Conduct:
- Reporting a peer's negligence in healthcare denotes a conflict between upholding safety and enabling colleagues.
Social Ethics and Legal Issues
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Reporting Abuse:
- Notifying authorities about suspected child abuse examines community responsibility versus personal hesitance.
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Legal and Illegal Gains:
- Becoming an escort for financial benefits tackles consent and coercive circumstances in financial desperation.
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Personal Loans Among Friends:
- Lending money to a friend raises questions of financial interest and friendship dynamics.
Consumer Responsibilities and Community Awareness
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Consumer Ethics:
- Leaving a tip despite poor restaurant service reflects broader societal notions of fairness and rewarding effort.
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Political Involvement:
- Struggling with the choice to vote when all candidates are unappealing illustrates the importance of civic engagement.
Conscience and Professional Ethics
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Academic Integrity:
- Failing a student for plagiarism presents a conflict between empathy and adherence to academic standards.
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Friendship vs. Professional Duty:
- Supplying interview questions to a friend blurs lines between loyalty and fairness in competitive scenarios.
Conclusion
- Each dilemma prompts critical thinking about personal values, societal norms, and the repercussions of choices made in challenging situations.
- Understanding ethics in real-life contexts encourages students to apply moral reasoning to their own lives.
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Description
Explore ethical dilemmas with these scruples flashcards. Each scenario challenges you to consider your values and the ramifications of your choices. Perfect for stimulating thought and discussion on morality and ethics.
