What are ethical dilemmas?

Ethical dilemmas occur when a person faces a situation requiring a choice between conflicting ethical principles or values. Such dilemmas typically involve competing responsibilities or moral imperatives, where adhering to one principle may result in violating another. This complexity makes ethical dilemmas challenging, as individuals must carefully weigh their options and consider the implications of their decisions on various stakeholders.

For example, in a scenario where a healthcare professional must decide whether to prioritize a patient’s confidentiality or disclose information to prevent harm, they are confronted with an ethical dilemma. Each choice involves adhering to important ethical principles—autonomy and beneficence in this case—that can conflict with one another.

By contrast, situations that are easily resolved by majority opinion generally do not constitute ethical dilemmas, as they lack the complexity of conflicting moral values. Decisions primarily driven by emotional responses may lead to impulsive actions but do not necessarily reflect the thoughtful consideration required in ethical decision-making. Similarly, choices involving only legal implications may be lawful but do not address the ethical dimensions which ethical dilemmas specifically highlight. These aspects underscore why the choice centered on conflicting ethical principles is fundamentally correct in understanding ethical dilemmas.