Ethical dilemma

Definition

An ethical dilemma is a situation where a person faces conflicting moral principles, making it difficult to determine the right course of action. This often arises when individuals must choose between two or more ethical obligations, each of which has valid reasoning, leading to a challenging decision-making process. Ethical dilemmas are crucial in understanding how ethical principles and frameworks interact, as they often require balancing competing values and responsibilities.

5 Must Know Facts For Your Next Test

1. Ethical dilemmas often involve situations where the outcome is uncertain, making the decision-making process even more complex.
2. These dilemmas can occur in various contexts, including business practices, medical ethics, and personal relationships, highlighting their widespread relevance.
3. Resolving an ethical dilemma often requires applying different ethical frameworks, such as utilitarianism or deontological ethics, to find a solution.
4. The presence of an ethical dilemma can lead to stress and anxiety as individuals grapple with the implications of their choices.
5. Understanding and recognizing ethical dilemmas is essential for developing critical thinking and ethical reasoning skills in professional and personal settings.

Review Questions

• How do ethical dilemmas illustrate the challenges of applying moral principles in real-life situations?
  • Ethical dilemmas highlight the complexities involved when moral principles clash, forcing individuals to weigh competing values against one another. For instance, a person might face a choice between honesty and loyalty, where telling the truth could harm a friend. This situation underscores the difficulty in applying abstract moral principles to concrete scenarios, as it challenges individuals to navigate conflicting obligations and make tough choices.
• Discuss how different ethical frameworks can lead to varied resolutions of the same ethical dilemma.
  • Different ethical frameworks, such as consequentialism and deontology, can result in distinct resolutions to the same ethical dilemma. For example, a consequentialist may focus on the outcomes of an action to determine its morality, potentially justifying lying if it leads to a better overall result. In contrast, a deontologist would argue that lying is inherently wrong regardless of the consequences, thus advocating for honesty. This divergence illustrates how underlying ethical beliefs shape decision-making processes in dilemmas.
• Evaluate the role of ethical dilemmas in shaping professional ethics and standards in accounting.
  • Ethical dilemmas play a crucial role in shaping professional ethics and standards in accounting by highlighting potential conflicts between personal morals and professional responsibilities. For instance, an accountant may face a dilemma when asked to manipulate financial statements to benefit a client. Evaluating this situation requires assessing both the ethical obligations to clients and adherence to accounting standards. The resolution of such dilemmas informs the development of robust ethical guidelines that promote integrity and accountability within the profession.

Related terms

moral principles: Fundamental beliefs that guide individuals in determining right from wrong and influencing their decisions and actions.

consequentialism: An ethical theory that judges the rightness or wrongness of actions based on the outcomes or consequences they produce.

deontology: An ethical framework that emphasizes duties and rules, suggesting that some actions are inherently right or wrong regardless of their consequences.