Ethics Module 2020, Lec-Handout 3, Students

ETHICS
LECTURE HANDOUTS
JUNE 2020
COLLEGE OF ARTS AND SCIENCES

ETH101
ETHICS101
LECTURES/HANDOUTS
1ST SEMESTER 2020-2021
These LECTURES/HANDOUTS are prepared and compiled solely for students of

PAMANTASAN ng CABUYAO (PnC) under the College of Education, Arts and
Sciences, enrolled in Ethics 101 (ETH101) course, of AY 2020-2021.
COURSE TITLE: ETHICS COURSE CODE: ETH 101
LECTURE HANDOUT 3- MORAL DILEMMA

OBJECTIVES:
At the end of lecture handout 3, the student will be able to:
 understand well the meaning of dilemma

 recognize their own dilemma and learn how to handle it.
 appreciate the qualities of human beings that enable them to have the ability
to participate in a collective cognition and allow them to draw on the
collective knowledge of humanity in a way no animal can.
 identify the three levels of dilemma
 learn how Cephalus defined justice how he feels it should be applied in real
life.
PRETEST
1. What is the meaning of dilemma?

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INTRODUCTION/ OVERVIEW
This lesson acquaints the learner of the nature of dilemma and its different levels. It
also gives the learner an idea on how to recognize his/her own dilemma and which to
choose. The key features of a dilemma is delineated in the lesson and a very detailed
description of each is given. The logical and religious concept of why a human being is
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is not an infringement of copyright. These lecture handouts are prepared and compiled solely as lecture guide for the 1
course- ETHICS SY 2020- 2021- NOT for REPRODUCTION and NOT for DISTRIBUTION
ETHICS
LECTURE HANDOUTS
JUNE 2020
the only creation capable of being ethical is explained with evidences given by
Cephalus. Furthermore, the role of reason and impartiality in ethics is discussed.
What is dilemma?
By definition, dilemma is a ”situation in which a difficult choice has to be

made between two or more alternatives, especially undesirable one”. Thus, when
you find yourself facing a problem but the solutions available to you will only create
another problem or worse create more problems, then you are in a dilemma.
A moral dilemma is a situation where:
 There are two or more actions that you can possibly do.
 There is a moral reason (s) for doing such actions.
 You cannot do all the possible actions presented to you. You only need to
choose one.
The online Standford Encyclopedia of Philosophy, in discussing moral dilemmas,
gives this example from the Book 1 of Plato’s Republic:
“…Cephalus defines justice as speaking the truth and paying one’s debts.
Socrates quickly refutes this account by suggesting that it would be wrong to repay
certain debts- for example, to return a borrowed weapon to a friend who is not in his
right mind. Socrates’ point is not that repaying debts is without moral import; rather,
he wants to show that it is not always right to repay one’s debts, at least not exactly
when the one to whom the debt is owed demands repayment. What we have here
is a conflict between two moral norms: repaying one’s debts and protecting
others from harm…” (“Moral Dilemmas” n.d.)
What common to moral dilemmas is conflict. In each ethical dilemma, an agent
regards himself as having moral reasons to do each of two actions; but the agent
cannot do both (or all) of the actions. In moral dilemma, the agent thus seems
condemned to moral failure; no matter what he does, he will do something wrong, or fail
to do something that he ought to do.
In the case given by Plato, many would say that it is more important to protect
people from harm than to return a borrowed weapon. Or, some would suggest that the
ETHICS
LECTURE HANDOUTS
JUNE 2020
borrowed item can be returned later, when the owner no longer poses a threat to others.
It can be submitted therefore that the moral requirement to protect others from serious
harm overrides the ethical requirement to repay one’s debts by returning a borrowed
item even when its owner so demands.
Some ethicists propose that when one of the conflicting moral requirements
overrides the other, the case is not a ‘genuine moral dilemma.’ Thus, in addition to the
features mentioned above, in order to have a genuine moral dilemma, some add that it
must also be the case neither of the conflicting moral requirements is overridden.
Three Levels of Moral Dilemmas
a. Personal Dilemmas- are those experienced and resolved on the personal level.
It is when your decision in a situation where there is moral conflict is the cause of
either your own; that of another person; or a group of people’s potential harm.
In 1957, the philosopher, Jean-Paul Sartre provided a case that could exemplify
a moral personal moral dilemma:
Sartre tells a student whose brother had been killed in the German offensive in
1940. The student wanted to avenge his brother and to fight forces that he regarded as
evil. But the student’s mother was living with him, and he was her one consolation in
life. The student believed that he had conflicting obligations. Sartre describes him as
being torn between two kinds of morality: one of limited scope but certain efficacy,
personal devotion to his mother; the other much wider scope but uncertain efficacy,
attempting to contribute to the defeat of unjust aggressor.”
There are many other personal moral dilemmas. If a person makes conflicting
promises, he faces a moral conflict. When an individual has to choose between the life
of a child who is about to be delivered and the child’s mother, he faces an ethical
dilemma.
b. Organizational Dilemmas- these refer to ethical cases encountered and

resolved by social organizations. This category includes moral dilemmas in
business, medical field, and public sector. For example, a garment factory is not
fitting its target profit. If this company keeps on missing its target, the factory will
also not achieve its five-year expansion plan which will severely affect the
ETHICS
LECTURE HANDOUTS
JUNE 2020
factory’s future financial standing. One plan to solve the factory’s imminent
financial crisis was to cut cost by laying- off some of its employees. The CEO and
the members of the board now need to decide. Should they lay off the people
who work for them to save the factory? Or keep the people working or just find
other means to hopefully increase profit and prevent their financial crisis in the
future?
In public sector, government leaders and employees have a moral duty to

act in a manner that is fair and unbiased, that is loyal to the public by putting public
interest before personal gain, and that fulfills duties of competency, integrity,
accountability, and transparency. In fulfilling these responsibilities, public officials may
encounter foreseeable moral dilemmas. These dilemmas include whether or not to favor
family, friends, or campaign contributors over other constituents; favoring the agenda of
one’s political party over a policy one believes to be good for the community; dealing
with conflicting public duties inherent in serving both as a council member and as a
member of an agency or commission; resigning from organizations in which
membership may give rise to future conflicts; becoming a whistle blower even if it
means potentially derailing a policy objective one is pursuing; and accepting gifts if it is
legally permitted but creates the appearance of impropriety.
c. Structural Dilemmas- these refer to cases involving network of institutions and

operative theoretical paradigms. As they usually encompass multi-sectoral
institutions and organizations, they may be larger in scope and extent than
organizational dilemmas. An example of this level of dilemma would be the
controversy in the Social Security System in 2016. The SSS members have
been asking for a two thousand pesos SSS pension increase. Several lawmakers
supported the call because they see that it will benefit the senior citizen
members. On the other hand, the SSS executive opposed it saying the institution
cannot sustain such amount in the long run, and SSS will go bankrupt in 2024.
Being the President of the Philippines, the final decision was in the hands of then
President Benigno Aquino III. In the end, President Aquino vetoed the bill passed
by Congress to hike the SSS pension because he believed “the stability of the
entire SSS benefit system will be surely compromised in favor of two million
pensioners and their dependents.
OUTPUT FOR SUBMISSION
1. Give the distinguishing characteristics of moral and non-moral standards. Cite two to
three differences.
ETHICS
LECTURE HANDOUTS
JUNE 2020
2. When do you say something is a moral experience?

3. What are moral dilemmas ? Give two examples.
4. Explain why only human beings can be ethical. Answer briefly and concisely.
Submission date__________________________
CLASS ACTIVITY
Divide into groups. Discuss the following and write the summary of your discussion on
a piece of paper.
1. Student’s moral dilemma/s

2. Medical and business ethics
3. Expensive medicines in the Philippines
4. Why is freedom crucial to an ethical experience?
RESEARCH TOPIC
Title: What distinguishes a human being from an animal?
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ETHICS

COLLEGE OF ARTS AND SCIENCES

These LECTURES/HANDOUTS are prepared and compiled solely for students of

COURSE TITLE: ETHICS COURSE CODE: ETH 101

LECTURE HANDOUT 3- MORAL DILEMMA

At the end of lecture handout 3, the student will be able to:

 understand well the meaning of dilemma

1. What is the meaning of dilemma?

By definition, dilemma is a ”situation in which a difficult choice has to be

Three Levels of Moral Dilemmas

b. Organizational Dilemmas- these refer to ethical cases encountered and

In public sector, government leaders and employees have a moral duty to

c. Structural Dilemmas- these refer to cases involving network of institutions and

OUTPUT FOR SUBMISSION

2. When do you say something is a moral experience?

1. Student’s moral dilemma/s

Title: What distinguishes a human being from an animal?

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