Issue, Decision, Judgment, and Dilemma

1.MORAL ISSUE- We should add that “issue” is also often

used to refer to those particular situations that are often the source
of considerable and inconclusive debate (thus, we would often hear
topics such as capital punishment and euthanasia as moral
“issues”).
2.MORAL DECISIONS- When one is placed in a
situation and confronted by the choice of what act to perform.
3.MORAL JUDGMENT- When a person is an
observer who makes an assessment on the actions or
behavior of someone.
4.MORAL DILEMMA- one is torn between choosing one
of two good or bad choosing between the lesser of two evils. when an
individual can choose only one from a number of possible actions,
and there are compelling ethical reason for the various choices. A
mother may be conflicted between wanting to feed her hungry child,
but then recognizing that it would be wrong for her to steal is an
example of a moral dilemma.
ETHICAL DECISION-MAKING
 A MODEL FOR MORAL DECISION MAKING

1. GATHER THE FACTS –

Frequently ethical dilemmas can be resolved
simply by clarifying the facts of the case in
question. In those cases that prove to be more
difficult, gathering the facts is the essential first
step prior to any ethical analysis and reflection
on the case. In analyzing a case, we want to
know the available facts at hand as well as any
facts currently not known but that need to be
ascertained. Thus one is asking not only “What
do we know?” but also “ What do we need to
know?” in order to make an intelligent ethical
decision.
2. DETERMINE THE ETHICAL ISSUES
• The ethical issues are stated in terms of
competing interests or goods. It’s these
conflicting interests that actually make for an
ethical dilemma. The issues should be
presented as ______versus _________
format in order to reflect the interests that are
colliding in a particular ethical dilemma. For
example, in business ethics there is often a
conflict between the right of a firm to make
profit and its obligation to the community. In
this case, the obligation pertains to the
environment.
3. WHAT ETHICAL PRINCIPLES HAVE A
BEARING ON THE CASE
• In any ethical dilemma, there are certain moral values or
principles that are central to the conflicting positions being
taken. It is critical to identify these principles, and in some
cases, to determine whether some principles are to be
weighted more heavily than others. Clearly, biblical
principles will be weighted the most heavily. There may be
other principles that speak to the case that come from other
sources. There may be constitutional principles or principles
drawn from natural law that supplement the biblical principles
that come into play here. The principles that come out of
your mission and calling are also important to consider.
4. LIST THE ALTERNATIVES
• Part of the creative thinking involved in
resolving an ethical dilemma involves coming
up with various alternative courses of action.
Although there will be some alternatives that
you will rule out without much thought, in
general the more alternatives that are listed,
the better the chance that your list will include
some high-quality ones. In addition, you may
come up with some very creative alternative
that you had not considered before.
5. COMPARE THE ALTERNATIVES WITH
THE PRINCIPLES
• At this point, the task is one of eliminating
alternatives according to the moral principles that
have a bearing on the case. In many instances, the
case will be resolved at this point, since the
principles will eliminate all alternatives except one.
In fact, the purpose of this comparison is to see if
there is a clear decision that can be made without
further deliberations. If a clear decision is not
forthcoming, then the next part is the model that
must be considered. At the least, some of the
alternatives may be eliminated by this step of
comparison.
6. WEIGH THE CONSEQUENCES
If the principles do not yield a clear
decision, then a consideration of the
consequences of the remaining
available alternatives is in order. Both
positive and negative consequences are
to be considered. They should be
informally weighed, since some positive
consequences are more detrimental
than others.
7. MAKE A DECISION
• Deliberations cannot go on forever. At
some point, a decision must be made.
Realize that one common element in
ethical dilemmas is that there are no
easy and painless solutions to them.
Frequently the decision that is made is
one that involves the least number of
problems or negative consequences, not
one that is devoid of them.
ACTIVITY:
A. Gathering of facts B. Determine the Ethical Issues C. Ethical Principles
D. List the Alternatives E. Weigh the Consequences
1. Positive and negative results must to be considered.
2. Part of the creative thinking involved in resolving an ethical dilemma involves coming
up with various courses of action.
3. Frequently ethical dilemmas can be resolved simply by clarifying the data of the case
in question.
4. The ethical problems are stated in terms of competing interests or goods.
5. In business ethics there is often a conflict between the right of a firm to make profit
and its obligation to the community.
6. You may come up with some very creative ideas/actions that you had not considered
before.
7. In any ethical dilemma, there are certain moral values that are central to the
conflicting positions being taken.
8. To determine whether some moral values are to be weighted more heavily than
others.
9. If the principles do not yield a clear decision, then a consideration of the results of the
remaining available alternatives is in order.
10. The better the chance that your suggested actions will include some high-quality ones.
3 Steps in Ethical Decision-Making: FORMAT
1.MORAL PROBLEM-
Whether A or B (not)
2.MORAL ANALYSIS-
Positive and Negative Consequences of Option A
Positive and Negative Consequences of Option B

3. MORAL DECISION-
A or B, (explain why)
 Here is an example of a case study format.

1. WHETHER to (Cheat during exams) or NOT?

2. OPTION A: if I cheat-
Positive Consequences
Negative Consequences
OPTION B: If I do not cheat-
Positive Consequences
Negative Consequences
3. I will cheat since I want to pass in the
course.
 Activity: What is the Ethical dilemma, Ethical analysis and
decision
Rajendra is a reputed structural engineer and is working for a
major metro rail project. He is in charge of design, construction
and positioning of pillars of metro flyover. A junior engineer in his
team tells him that there is a major flaw in two erected pillars
supporting a section of the flyover and they should be
replaced/readjusted at any cost. These two pillars supported a
flyover curve and if collapsed, it would cause a major accident
and put many lives into danger.
Moreover, in few days it is to be inaugurated for trial runs.
Rajendra brushes aside the apprehension and warning by his
junior. But later in the evening, on second thought, he once again
scrutinizes his plans and drawings, and finds that his junior was
indeed right. Accepting his mistake would tarnish his reputation
for Rajendra.
If any accident happens, which is certain to happen at certain
point of time in future, it would affect the reputation of the
company that constructed it. It will embarrass the government
too. Also, replacing the pillars would inflate the cost for the
company and would further delay the project.
Examples of ETHICAL DILEMMA
Imagine you are standing beside some tram tracks. In the distance, you spot a runaway
trolley hurtling down the tracks towards five workers who cannot hear it coming. Even
if they do spot it, they won’t be able to move out of the way in time.

As this disaster looms, you glance down and see a lever connected to the tracks. You
realise that if you pull the lever, the tram will be diverted down a second set of tracks
away from the five unsuspecting workers.

However, down this side track is one lone worker, just as oblivious as his colleagues.

So, would you pull the lever, leading to one death but saving five?
Now consider now the second variation of this dilemma.

Imagine you are standing on a footbridge above

the tram tracks. You can see the runaway trolley
hurtling towards the five unsuspecting workers,
but there’s no lever to divert it.
However, there is large man standing next to
you on the footbridge. You’re confident that his
bulk would stop the tram in its tracks.
So, would you push the man on to the tracks,
sacrificing him in order to stop the tram and
thereby saving five others?
The outcome of this scenario is
identical to the one with the lever
diverting the trolley onto another track:
one person dies; five people live. The
interesting thing is that, while most
people would throw the lever, very few
would approve of pushing the fat man
off the footbridge.
KILLING VS LETTING DIE
In the first trolley dilemma, the person
who pulls the lever is saving the life of the
five workers and letting the one person die.
After all, pulling the lever does not inflict
direct harm on the person on the side
track.
But in the footbridge scenario, pushing the
fat man over the side is in intentional act
of killing.
 THIRD VARIATION
Imagine you are a doctor and you have five
patients who all need transplants in order to
live. Two each require one lung, another two
each require a kidney and the fifth needs a
heart.
In the next ward is another individual
recovering from a broken leg. But other than his
knitting bones, he’s perfectly healthy. So, would
you kill the healthy patient and harvest their
organs to save five others?