Page 31 - Issue 34

ELITE Vol.1, issue 34, August 2021
Vol.1, issue 34, August 2021

moral dilemmas

forat hatem

Do you recall a time when you were torn between Epistemic dilemmas and ontological
two equally unfavorable options? Like lying and dilemmas: The most basic type of moral
losing someone's trust, or telling the truth and dilemma is an epistemic moral dilemma, which
hurting their feelings. This is referred to as a occurs when two or more moral requirements
dilemma. When a dilemma has ethical or moral contradict one another and the moral agent is
implications, it is referred to as an ethical or moral unsure which of the conflicting moral
dilemma. Those moral dilemmas occur when a requirements takes precedence. To put it
decision maker (also known as a “moral agent” in another way, the moral agent in this situation

ethics) must weigh two or more moral ideals but has no idea which option is ethically correct or
can only honor one of them. As a result, the incorrect. Before making an informed decision,
individual will breach at least one important moral they require more information about the two
concern. options.
According to ethicist Karen Allen, to be Ontological dilemmas are nearly the opposite
considered a moral dilemma, three conditions of epistemic one, it involves situations in which
must be met. The first is that the moral agent two or more moral requirements are in conflict
must decide which course of action is best. The with one another, but neither is overriding.
second requirement for an ethical dilemma is that They are fundamentally ethically equivalent.
different courses of action must be available to As a result, the moral agent is unable to
choose from. Third, regardless of the course of choose between the two options.
action taken in an ethical dilemma, some ethical self-imposed and world-imposed
standard is violated. To put it another way, there dilemmas: A self-imposed dilemma is a
is no such thing as a perfect solution. situation that has been caused by the

There are several types of moral dilemmas, but individual’s mistakes or misconduct. The
the most common of them are categorized into moral dilemma is self-inflicted. This can cause
the following: 1) epistemic and ontological a number of complications when attempting to
dilemmas, 2) self-imposed and world-imposed make a decision.
dilemmas, 3) obligation dilemmas and prohibition
dilemma.
29