Ethical dilemmas: the 6 types that exist and examples

We have all found ourselves in circumstances in which we need to choose what action to take, but for X or Y reasons the choice is complicated by not being able to see clearly what is the right thing to do. These are considered ethical dilemmas, differentiated from a moral dilemma by being their own and not collective.

In short, it is a situation in which the individual involved in it is taken to question their moral and ethical principles, as well as your priorities. All this leads to the conclusion that things are not black and white, and this is the reason why a problem can vary seriously depending on the person who solves it.

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What is an ethical dilemma?

An ethical dilemma is a problem in which neither option is entirely good or entirely bad; that is, whatever the decision you make, the result will have both positive and negative repercussions.

The different reactions to the proposed ethical dilemmas come to have a whole branch of studies, and many times

are proposed with a didactic function, since they allow us to see our line of thought and the factors that we take into account to make a decision. This is how we come to have different types of ethical dilemmas, of which we will explain their characteristics below.

Types of ethical dilemmas

Although the concept of an ethical dilemma sounds abstract, the truth is that there are many types, differing in the way of approach and the morals to be tested. Therefore, the list of typologies of ethical dilemmas may sound endless, but we can focus on the main ones:

1. Hypothetical dilemma

This type of ethical dilemma refers to a situation that is highly unlikely to happen in real life. They do not represent impossible events, but they do represent circumstances in which the decision made is imperative; therefore, they are the ideal type of dilemma for an experiment.

Being hypothetical, it is not necessary that the person to whom the dilemma is posed be the protagonist of it, since they can be asked what, according to them, the character should do.

2. Real dilemma

These ethical dilemmas pose a situation close to whoever is asked, either because of an upcoming event or because the circumstance can occur relatively easily in your normal life. This is why they can be as or more desperate than ethical dilemmas of the previous type.

It is not necessary that the person who is confronted with the dilemma is the protagonist of it, since they can be asked what, according to her, the character should do.

3. Closed or analysis dilemma

These ethical dilemmas are not about solving, but about valuing. They speak of a situation that has already been resolved, giving as the purpose of the approach assess the actions and decisions that were taken by the protagonist of the dilemma raised.

4. Open or solution dilemma

It is in this type of ethical dilemma that there is the greatest agency. In the proposed situation, the protagonist has not yet taken any measures to solve her problem, thus giving the opportunity to whoever tries to solve it in any way. take whatever action it thinks is correct to get an answer.

5. Complete dilemmas

They are dilemmas in which when they are raised, they are told to the person to whom they are asked all the consequences of the actions she may take the protagonist of the dilemma.

6. Incomplete dilemmas

This type of ethical dilemma is the opposite of the previous type; the consequences of the actions are not explicit, and therefore the solution depends on the person's ability to imagine advantages and disadvantages to value them.

What must be taken into account with ethical conflicts?

Ethical dilemmas are present in our day to day, however imperceptible they may be. From the behavior of our acquaintances, to our professional life, to our reaction in times of adversity, to the classic love dilemmas!

What ethical dilemmas do is test our convictions and beliefs, leading people to a paradoxical and often stressed state, in which our moral code is taken to the most crucial. They make us reflect on our motives for doing things, and our way of seeing the world. Thus, they are not alien to us, but part of our normal life.

Some examples of ethical dilemmas

Ethical dilemmas often have a majority response, according to the general code of values, but none can have an absolute answer. So, here are some examples for you to put to the test:

1. Heinz's dilemma

A woman with a special type of cancer is going to die soon. There is a medicine that doctors think she's the only one who can save her; it is a form of radio that a pharmacist from the same city has just discovered. The drug itself is expensive, but the pharmacist is charging ten times what it cost him to produce it, since he buys the radio for $ 1,000, and he is charging $ 5,000 for a small dose of the drug.

Mr. Heinz, who is the sick woman's husband, goes to everyone he knows to borrow the money, but he only manages to raise $ 2,500, half the cost. He tells the pharmacist that his wife is dying, and asks him to sell him the cheapest medicine or let him pay for it later. The pharmacist refuses, arguing that she needs to make money from him by finding out. Heinz is desperate and plans to rob the establishment and steal the medicine for his wife. What would you do in Heinz's place?

2. Robin Hood's dilemma

You witness a crime: a man has robbed a bank, but instead of keeping the money for himself, he donates it to a poor orphanage that can now afford to feed, give clothes and take care of the children who live in he. You know who has committed the crime, but if you go to the authorities with this information, the most likely thing is that the money will be returned to the bank, leaving the children with great needs again. What decision do you make?

3. Tram dilemma

A train is traveling on a track at full speed and out of control, just before the switch that would allow him to continue on another route. You realize that on the same train track there are 5 people working, who will die if the train reaches them. Fortunately, you are in front of the switchgear and you have the option of diverting the train to the other track. However, on this other track there is another person working, who will also die if the train is diverted.

In this ethical dilemma, it's up to you to decide whether to divert the train letting one person die, or not diverting it and letting five people die. What would your decision be?

We hope these examples of ethical dilemmas are helpful to you in work on reasoning in these types of situations, in which the moral codes of each one are put to the test.

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