Lesson 2_Moral Dilemmas PDF

Lesson 1 Moral Dilemmas Prof. Benedict G. Antonio  PRAYER Dear Lord and Father of all, Thank you for today. Thank you for ways in which you provide for us all. For Your protection and love we thank you. Help us to focus our hearts and minds now on what we are about to learn. Inspire us...

Lesson 1 Moral Dilemmas Prof. Benedict G. Antonio  PRAYER Dear Lord and Father of all, Thank you for today. Thank you for ways in which you provide for us all. For Your protection and love we thank you. Help us to focus our hearts and minds now on what we are about to learn. Inspire us by Your Holy Spirit as we listen and write. Guide us by your eternal light as we discover more about the world Short Story A pregnant woman leading a group of five people out of a cave on a coast is stuck in the mouth of that cave. In a short time, high tide will be upon them and unless she is unstuck, they will all be drowned except the woman whose head is out of the cave. Fortunately (or unfortunately), someone has with him a stick of dynamite. There seems no way to get the pregnant woman loose without using the dynamite which will inevitably Learning Activity What would you do if you were one of the men? Explain why you decided to act that way? Have you been into a similar situation? MORAL DILEMMA A moral dilemma is a problem in the decision-making between two possible options, neither of which is absolutely acceptable from an ethical perspective. It is also referred to as an ethical dilemma. The Oxford Dictionary defines ethical dilemma as a "decision- making problem between two possible moral imperatives, neither of which is unambiguously acceptable or preferable. It is MORAL DILEMMA Based on these definitions, moral dilemmas have the following in Common: 1) the person is required to do each of two (or more) actions which are morally unacceptable; 2) the person can do each of the actions; 3) but the person cannot do both (or all) of the actions. The person thus seems condemned to moral failure; no MORAL DILEMMA This means that moral dilemmas are situations where two or more moral values or duties make demands on the decision-maker, who can only honor one of them, and thus will violate at least one important moral concern, no matter what he or she decides to do. Moral dilemmas present situations where there is tension between moral values and duties that are more or less on equal footing. The decision-maker has to FALSE DILEMMA On the other hand, a false dilemma is a situation where the decision maker has a moral duty to do one thing but is tempted or under pressure to do something else. A false dilemma is a choice between a right and a wrong. For example, a lawyer or an accountant can face an opportunity to prioritize self- interest over the client's interest. What To Do When Faced Moral Dilemma? Ultimately, dilemmas are conflicts in the application of moral standards. The question is which moral standards must be followed? In a state of emergency, necessity demands no moral law. You have to decide based on your best judgment or choose based on the principle of lesser evil or greater good or urgency. Learning ActivityRead and analyze the following dilemmas. 1) The mission of Catholic School A is to serve the poor by giving quality education. It is torn between the obligation to charge low tuition to help the poor and to pay better salaries to keep quality teachers. 2) Heinz's wife was dying from a particular type of cancer. Doctors said a new drug might save her. The drug had been discovered by a local chemist, and the Heinz tried desperately to buy some, but the chemist was charging ten times the money it cost to make the drug, and this was much more than the Heinz could afford. Heinz could only raise half the money, even after help from family and friends. He explained to the chemist that his wife was dying and asked if he could have the drug cheaper or pay the rest of the money later. The chemist refused, saying that he had discovered the drug and was going to make money from it. The husband was desperate to save his wife, so later that night he broke into the chemist's laboratory and stole the drug. 3) A principal ought to welcome and encourage parents and community participation in school affairs. Based on her experience, parents and community  Among the 3 dilemmas, which is an example Learning Activity of an individual dilemma? organizational dilemma? structural dilemma? 1) The mission of Catholic School A is to serve the poor by giving quality education. It is torn between the obligation to charge low tuition to help the poor and to pay better salaries to keep quality teachers. 2) Heinz's wife was dying from a particular type of cancer. Doctors said a new drug might save her. The drug had been discovered by a local chemist, and the Heinz tried desperately to buy some, but the chemist was charging ten times the money it cost to make the drug, and this was much more than the Heinz could afford. Heinz could only raise half the money, even after help from family and friends. He explained to the chemist that his wife was dying and asked if he could have the drug cheaper or pay the rest of the money later. The chemist refused, saying that he had discovered the drug and was going to make money from it. The husband was desperate to save his wife, so later that night he broke into the chemist's laboratory and stole the drug. 3) A principal ought to welcome and encourage parents and community participation in school affairs. Based on her experience, parents and community Learning Activity How do the 3 dilemmas differ? 1) The mission of Catholic School A is to serve the poor by giving quality education. It is torn between the obligation to charge low tuition to help the poor and to pay better salaries to keep quality teachers. 2) Heinz's wife was dying from a particular type of cancer. Doctors said a new drug might save her. The drug had been discovered by a local chemist, and the Heinz tried desperately to buy some, but the chemist was charging ten times the money it cost to make the drug, and this was much more than the Heinz could afford. Heinz could only raise half the money, even after help from family and friends. He explained to the chemist that his wife was dying and asked if he could have the drug cheaper or pay the rest of the money later. The chemist refused, saying that he had discovered the drug and was going to make money from it. The husband was desperate to save his wife, so later that night he broke into the chemist's laboratory and stole the drug. 3) A principal ought to welcome and encourage parents and community participation in school affairs. Based on her experience, parents and community  3 Levels of Moral Dilemma 1. Individual Dilemma This conflict arrives when a person is asked to choose between two important values for him or her for example, choosing between one’s duties to his or her family and one’s love for another person. This refers also to personal dilemmas. It is an individual’s damn-if- you-do and damn-if-you-don’t situation. The second case in the readings is one of the best-known individual dilemma presented by Kohlberg (1958). Kohlberg’s dilemma question were as follows: “Should Heinz have stolen the drug?” If he did not steal the drug that would mean his wife’s death, He was torn between stealing the drug and saving his wife. The dilemma is faced by an individual who is torn between  3 Levels of Moral Dilemma 2. Organizational Dilemma This is encountered by institutions, business, or organizations in their decision-making process, at this level the dilemmas that the organizations’ experiences usually affect more than one person and they can be part of the internal group or part of an external stakeholder. Organizational dilemma is a puzzle posed by the dual necessities of a social organization and members’ self- interest. It may exist between personal interests and organizational welfare or between group interest and organizational well-being. The example number 1 in the learning activity shows the dilemma between the goal of the school to give quality education for the poor and so must charge the lowest tuition fee possible and yet to keep quality faculty the school must raise their salary and consequently, must raise tuition. Organizational dilemmas may also in business,  3 Levels of Moral Dilemma 3. Structural Dilemma This affects a network of institutions and operative theoretical paradigms like universal care, juvenile laws, and immigration. This type of dilemma can affect a community and even a society at large. The case of the principal whether to be participatory or non- participatory in school affairs but due to her not so favorite experience of attempting to be participatory ended up to one- woman rule is an example of structural dilemma.  3 Levels of Moral Dilemma 3. Structural Dilemma Examples of structural dilemmas 1. Differentiation Versus Integration. The tension between allocating work and coordinating sundry efforts creates a classic dilemma. The more complex a role structure, the harder it is to focused, tightly coupled enterprise. 2. Gap Versus Overlap If key responsibilities are not clearly assigned, important task fall through the cracks. Roles and activities can overlap, creating effort, wasted effort and unintended redundancy. An overlap occurs where two or more areas intersect each other, creating a region covered by multiple areas. A gap occurs where two or more areas fail to  3 Levels of Moral Dilemma 3. Structural Dilemma Examples of structural dilemmas 3. Lack of Clarity Versus Lack of Creativity If employees are unclear about of what they are supposed to be doing, they often shape their role around personal preferences instead of organizational goals, frequently leading to problems. 4. Excessive Autonomy Versus Excessive Interdependence If the efforts of individuals or group are too autonomous, people often feel isolated and unsupported.  Resolving Moral Dilemma The following offer some techniques in resolving moral dilemma: 1. One way is to think of available options revealing that the dilemma does not really exist. This happens where there are available alternative options. For instance one is experiencing a dilemma between stealing or not stealing otherwise his family will either die of hunger or survive. The creative moral agent will try to think of other alternatives like “alternative means of income or support such as social safety net, charity, etc. 2. Another way is “Choosing the greater good and lesser evil.” Or one may apply thesituation ethics approach, following the rule, one must do only what he can where he is. Do not resort to extraordinary or supernatural means. Questions? SUMMARY A moral dilemma Is a "decision making problem between two possible moral imperatives, neither of which Is unambiguously acceptable or preferable. A moral dilemma is a situation where a person has the moral obligation to choose between two options both based on moral standards, but he/she cannot choose both, and choosing one means violating the other. In a moral dilemma, one is caught between two options. It is a "damn if you-do and damn-if-you-don't situation. One is in a deadlock. False dilemmas are situations where the decision-maker has a moral duty to do one thing, but is tempted or under pressure to do something else. A false dilemma is a choice between a right and a Wrong unlike a moral dilemma where both choices are SUMMARY Moral dilemmas come in three levels -individual, organizational or structural. Individual dilemmas concern dilemmas that individual persons face. Organizational dilemmas refer to dilemmas between organizational benefits versus individual members' welfare. Structural dilemmas concern dilemmas faced by groups or individuals as a result of structural relationships. A world organization like the United Nations is usually faced with this dilemma: sovereignty of nations versus world order. If confronted with a moral dilemma, choose the greater good and lesser I evil or... ," do only what you can where you are (Fletcher) or "love and do what you will" (St. Augustine) The extent of one's obligation and ' responsibility is the extent of