how to solve ethical dilemmas essay

Common Ethical Dilemmas in Nursing and their Solutions

Healthcare professionals, including nurses, face ethical dilemmas fairly regularly. Most of the dilemmas are usually serious and very stressful because when faced with a dilemma, a nurse must make a decision, which is easier said than done.

As a nursing student, you might be assigned to write an essay where you identify, analyze, and resolve an ethical dilemma. We have noticed over the years that many students struggle with writing an ethical dilemma nursing essay. If that sounds like you, read this post that comprehensively explores ethical dilemmas in nursing, including their examples and solutions.

In most cases, essays about ethical dilemmas in nursing take the reflective essay approach, where you reflect on real, researched, or imagined clinical scenario or encounter. It could be during your placement, clinical rotations, or shadowing experiences. As you do so, you will borrow from various ethical theories and decision-making models.

If you could use some help, our experienced online nursing essay writers can help you get a bespoke ethical dilemma essay at an affordable fee.

Let's get started with the basics to more advanced concepts.

What is an Ethical Dilemma in Nursing?

An ethical dilemma is a scenario where it is not easy to decide one way or another. Nurses are faced with ethical dilemmas almost every day. They have to make serious and difficult decisions fairly regularly. The decisions can sometimes mean life or death. Therefore, as a student nurse, it is vital to learn about ethical dilemmas nurses face, how to identify them, and how to solve them correctly.

When facing an ethical dilemma, you should always follow the nursing code of ethics . This is because most dilemmas can be solved by following the nursing code of ethics. The nursing code of ethics is a bunch of rules nurses has to follow to provide quality, safe, and unquestionable care to those who need it.

While most dilemmas can be solved by following the code of ethics in nursing, some dilemmas cannot be solved in this manner. The reason is that the nursing code does not guide every ethical dilemma or situation.

If faced with a situation that makes it difficult for you to follow the nursing code of ethics, you should use your judgment to weigh the pros and cons of both decisions to make the right decision.

Examples of ethical dilemmas nurses face regularly include: how to deal with a non-compliant patient, how to deal with a patient that is refusing treatment, and whether to disclose confidential information to help a patient.

Ethical Dilemma Versus Moral Dilemma

The terms ethical and moral are often used interchangeably in speech. However, the two terms do not always mean the same thing. For example, there is a slight difference between ethical and moral dilemmas.

An ethical dilemma involves two morally correct choices, but one is slightly more ethically problematic than the other. In contrast, a moral dilemma is a situation with two morally correct choices, but neither is preferable. For the moral dilemmas, the nurses know the right action yet might be limited to acting by forces outside their control.

As a nurse, you are more likely to face ethical dilemmas than moral dilemmas. Because ethical dilemmas are anticipated, a code of conduct has been created to help you always make the right decision.

Reasons Nurses Face Ethical Dilemmas in Healthcare

There are many reasons why nurses face ethical dilemmas frequently when providing care to patients. The following are the eight main ones:

Inadequate staffing. When a healthcare facility has fewer staff than it needs to function optimally, nurses sometimes must make a tough decision. They have to decide whether to work longer to care for patients or to prioritize their mental and physical health and work only as much as possible.
Incompetent peers. As a registered nurse, you will have a big dilemma if you notice a colleague showing incompetence. You will have to choose one of two options â€“ to ignore your colleague's incompetence because they are a friend and they probably will not do it again, or report your colleague to a supervisor to ensure high standards are maintained. This is an ethical dilemma since the former is more ethically problematic than the latter.
Religious/cultural beliefs. Your religious or cultural beliefs may present an ethical dilemma as a practicing nurse. For instance, you might be given a nursing assignment that contradicts your religious beliefs, e.g., you are asked to clean up the private parts of a male patient after a procedure as a Muslim female nurse (this is forbidden according to Islam). It is easy to see how this situation would present an ethical dilemma.
Patient refusing treatment. There are occasionally situations when patients refuse treatment. As a nurse, you know what is best for the patient. However, you also know that they have the right to make their own decision. So when a patient refuses treatment, this will always present you with an ethical dilemma â€“ do you insist and look for ways to ensure they get the treatment or grant them their wish?
Artificial nutrition and hydration. Some patients and older adults do not want to be fed or hydrated using a tube. This presents a huge ethical dilemma for nurses. This is because nurses are trained to care for people who need it. Therefore, they feel bad about it when they see the need to provide artificial nutrition and hydration and get stopped because of a patient's wishes. They feel so bad because they know there is something they can do, yet they are asked not to do it.
Providing futile care. Being asked by a patient's family to continue providing care despite a patient's continued decline is one of the biggest ethical dilemmas nurses face. This is especially true for critical care nurses. Being trained medical staff, they can see when it is not in a patient's best interest to continue receiving aggressive interventions. However, most of the time, patient families don't want to give up on their loved ones. Therefore, they insist that interventions continue presenting nurses with a big ethical dilemma.
Opioid crisis. The opioid crisis across the United States presents nurses with several ethical dilemmas. For example, many nurses do not want to give patients opioid pain medications, especially when they believe they risk getting addicted. Now imagine knowing that a patient can benefit from a medication yet at the same time feeling like it could lead to them getting addicted to it
Anti-vaccine stance. Nurses who do not mind vaccines face a dilemma whenever they interact with those against vaccines. This is because, on the one hand, they know they have to provide care to everyone without discrimination. Yet, on the other hand, they know that people against vaccines pose a serious public health hazard.

Identifying Ethical Dilemmas in Nursing

As evident in the section above, ethical dilemmas can arise virtually anywhere in the nursing world. It is up to you as a nurse to identify dilemmas when they arise and deal with them as expected by the ANA code of conduct. In this section, we are going to focus on how to identify ethical dilemmas in nursing.

Here are the main indicators of ethical dilemmas in nursing.

Harm potential. When you face a healthcare situation that has the potential to impact a patient negatively, you are most likely facing an ethical dilemma. If it were so easy to spare the patient from the negative impact, the situation wouldn't be a dilemma because this is the option you would take.
Conflict of interests. When you face a healthcare situation with a conflict of interests between you and the patient or you and the case management team, it is likely an ethical dilemma.
Uncertainty. This is perhaps one of the biggest indicators of ethical dilemmas and dilemmas. When you face a healthcare situation in which you are unsure what to decide, you are most likely facing an ethical dilemma. Nurses are trained to judge situations and make decisions quickly. When you cannot do these things as a nurse, something is holding you back, and the situation is likely a dilemma.
Cautiousness. When you face a healthcare situation in which you are cautious about the outcome of the options you can take, you are most likely facing an ethical dilemma. People are cautious when making ethical dilemma decisions because they do not want to see negative consequences (if any) caused by their decision(s).
Delay. When you have a decision to make at work and keep delaying the decision-making, you are most likely facing an ethical dilemma. People delay making ethical dilemma decisions because they fear the consequences.

Principles of Nursing Ethics

Principles of nursing ethics were formulated to help nurses consistently make the right decisions when faced with ethical situations. There are many principles of nursing ethics, but the main ones are non-maleficence, beneficence, autonomy, and justice. These are the ones that are always integrated into nursing training programs to help nurses make the right decisions whenever they are faced with difficult situations.

1. Nonmaleficence

Nonmaleficence is probably the most well-known ethical principle in the healthcare world. It applies to nurses, doctors, and other medical professionals.

This principle teaches nurses that it is their responsibility to provide care, treatment options, and/or case management in a manner that does not harm the patient. When you internalize this principle as a nurse, you will always choose to provide care and treat patients safely.

Non-maleficence is an important part of providing patients with safe and quality care. Exercising this principle means doing everything possible as a nurse to provide care while ensuring the highest degree of patient safety.

An excellent example of non-maleficence in nursing practice is withholding the administration of a powerful medication until you get confirmation on whether a patient is allergic to it or not. Another example of maleficence in nursing practice is discontinuing medication when you notice signs of adverse reactions.

When a nurse lacks this principle, it can result in dire consequences for patients. More specifically, a lack of nonmaleficence can lead to reduced patient safety. And, of course, this can mean patient injury or even death. Patient injury or death resulting from lack of nonmaleficence can cause mental trauma, job loss, and even legal consequences.

Therefore, it is imperative to internalize and adhere to this nursing principle.

2. Beneficence

Beneficence is another important nursing principle. This principle is characterized by charity and kindness. It is basically all about ensuring your actions are guided by compassion and maximum consideration of the welfare of those you serve.

While some people choose to pursue nursing for the money or job security, most people in nursing are in it out of their love for serving others. Therefore, this beneficence principle is almost always naturally ingrained in the minds of most nurses.

The best way to apply this nursing ethical principle is to always act in the patient's best interest regardless of the circumstances. Practicing this principle regularly will ensure the patient is always cared for in the best way possible. You will also automatically improve positive patient outcomes.

An excellent example of beneficence in nursing practice is offering to sit with a patient to console them after giving them bad news about their situation. Another superb example of beneficence is drawing curtains to protect a patient's and his family's privacy when exchanging final goodbyes.

Lack of beneficence can result in poor nurse-patient relationships and reduced patient safety. When a patient realizes you are not kind or acting in their best interest, they will not be very interested in showing you kindness or respect. This can result in poor nurse-patient relationships and adverse patient outcomes.

As mentioned above, a lack of beneficence can also lead to reduced patient safety. When you don't act in the patient's best interest, it can lead to safety issues such as failure to record vital info, failure to use protective measures when providing care, and medication errors.

It is easy to see how following this principle can make it easier for nurses to provide quality care and make more ethical decisions.

3. Autonomy

Autonomy is a fundamental nursing ethical principle. It recognizes the right of the patient to make their own decisions. Nurses must never forget this right to avoid imposing their will or self-interest on the patient.

Of course, there is a right way to recognize patients' independence and ability to make their own decisions. This right way involves offering the patient all the necessary information to make the best decisions. This information includes available treatment options and the pros and cons of each option.

Once a nurse has offered a patient all the correct information, they have to respect whatever decisions the patient makes, even if they disagree.

Autonomy is essential in nursing practice because it helps nurses adhere to the patient's wishes. It is also important because it passes responsibility for some major care decisions to the patient they will affect the most.

A good example of autonomy is when a nurse agrees to respect a patient's choice not to get treatment, even if they believe the treatment benefits the patient. Another excellent example of autonomy is a nurse respecting a patient's wish to be seen or attended to by a nurse of the same sex for religious reasons.

When a nurse doesn't practice this ethical principle, they can make decisions that make patients feel disrespected. They can also make decisions that can lead to a breakdown of the nurse-patient relationship. Thus, it is always essential to have this ethical principle in mind.

Justice is a fundamental ethical principle. It is all about nurses showing fairness in the way they provide care. Nurses must provide quality care to patients regardless of their appearance, age, financial history, religious preference, race, and gender.

Even when faced with a situation that involves healthcare for a convicted murderer or any other criminal, a nurse must still offer the best care they can provide.

This nursing ethical principle is crucial because it ensures fairness and equity in nursing. In other words, it provides patients care regardless of who they are. This usually has the effect of making patients feel valued. This, in turn, usually has the effect of enhancing patient outcomes.

A good example of justice in nursing practice is providing care to a known anti-vaccine campaigner when they get COVID or any other vaccine-preventable illness. This is justice and fairness because it allows the person to become well again without considering the negative influence of vaccine use.

A nurse lacking this ethical principle can act in ways that make a patient feel rejected, leading to adverse patient outcomes. It can also lead to unfair prioritization in care provision, resulting in dire consequences for the patient.

By following the nursing ethical principles discussed above and adhering to the ANA code of conduct, you can handle different ethical dilemmas correctly and without serious negative consequences.

Examples of Ethical Dilemmas in Healthcare

Understanding some ethical dilemma scenarios you can write an essay about as a nursing student is essential. Remember, there is never a right or wrong answer; in the same way, there is no small or big ethical issue. As long as it impacts healthcare, it falls within nursing practice or medical ethics.

The following are some of the most common ethical dilemmas in nursing.

1. Pro-choice versus pro-life.

The pro-choice versus pro-life dilemma is common in nursing. For example, when a patient wishes to have an abortion because they do not want a baby, yet a nurse is pro-life because of religious beliefs, it becomes a big dilemma.

SOLUTION : Respect the wishes of the patient.

2. Religious beliefs versus science.

This dilemma is common in nursing practice. For example, it can occur when a patient refuses a specific procedure or treatment because of religious beliefs, yet a nurse knows what science says is best in the situation.

SOLUTION : Respect patient autonomy and do as they wish.

3. Beneficence versus autonomy.

As a nurse, you must practice beneficence (kindness and charity). You are also required to respect the patient's autonomy. Now imagine you have been ordered to give a patient medication to ease pain and suffering, yet they insist on not taking it to stay awake and spend their last minutes with their loved ones. This presents a great beneficence vs. autonomy dilemma.

SOLUTION : Obey the patient's wishes as long as they are conscious and can make their own decisions

4. Anti-vaccine stance.

As a nurse, you must follow exactly what the guardian wants for a child unless it is required by law to do otherwise. Now imagine a situation where a parent refuses to let their child get vaccinated, yet you know at the back of your mind that vaccines benefit children. You know what you must do, yet a guardian insists you must not do it. This is a significant ethical dilemma.

SOLUTION : Obey the guardian's wishes for their child.

5. Withholding information versus being honest.

Nurses are ethically expected to be open and transparent with patients. However, there are cases when you may feel as a nurse that explaining the gravity of a situation to a patient will worsen their stress and anxiety. You may, therefore, think it is more appropriate to withhold some information from them. This presents a big dilemma.

SOLUTION: Always be honest, especially when the situation is complex. Patients deserve to know the truth.

6. Limited resources versus healthcare needs.

Nurses occasionally face situations where their resources are not optimal for the people they serve. Remember the COVID-ventilator issue? Doctors and nurses had to decide whom to give ventilators initially at the start of the pandemic when there were not enough ventilators.

SOLUTION: When the resources are limited, choosing patients based on severity is recommended.

7. Questionable orders.

Doctors and other medical professionals are not perfect. They make mistakes from time to time. Therefore, you will have a big dilemma when a doctor prescribes treatment, and you feel it is not the best treatment in the back of your mind. Do you fulfill the doctor's order or intercede and question it?

SOLUTION: When you feel something wrong is about to happen, you should speak up to protect the patient's interest.

How to Address Ethical Dilemmas in Nursing

The best way to address ethical dilemmas is to internalize and follow the nursing ethical principles and the ANA code of conduct. However, not everyone constantly has the time and energy to review nursing ethical principles and the ANA code of conduct.

For this reason, we have shared the tips below to help you correctly address ethical dilemmas in nursing.

1. A Problem Shared Is a Problem Halved

When you feel uneasy about an ethical situation, you should share it with a trusted colleague or a supervisor. Communicating the problem with someone else invites a fresh perspective to the problem and increases the likelihood of arriving at a better decision.

2. Internalize Patient Autonomy

Remembering and recognizing patient autonomy or the right to make their own decisions is always important. It doesn't matter what you think is best for a patient â€“ what they want is what you should do as long as it is legal and within your nursing responsibilities. Of course, you should present the patient with all the information they need to decide. So if you ever have to grapple with an ethical situation that makes you feel like ignoring patient autonomy, you shouldn't do it. You should choose the option that ensures patient autonomy.

3. Respect the Right to Privacy

Every patient has a right to privacy. This means you should treat their information as confidential and only to be shared with them or with persons they approve. It is not in your place to share patient information, especially when it is sensitive. You can only share info when given consent. Therefore, if you ever have a dilemma about sharing information, remember to respect the right to privacy and ask for consent to share info if you think it is necessary.

4. Transparency is Key

You should always be open and honest with patients. Doing this will help you to avoid many ethical situations. It will also make it easy for you to make ethical decisions. Therefore, whenever necessary, please share all the information you can share with patients to help them understand what is happening. Share with them the pros and cons of every treatment or management option. Let them be fully aware of the benefits and risks of everything.

5. Ask Yourself What Is in The Best Interest of the Patient

Whenever you need to make an ethical decision, in addition to all your other considerations, you should ask yourself what is in the patient's best interest. Asking yourself this question will help you act in a way that ensures the patient's best interests are taken into account. It will also force you to involve the patient in decision-making to know what they want or wish for. You can never go wrong by acting in a patient's best interest.

6. Stay Up-To-Date with Ethical Guidelines

Ethical guidelines change regularly. Therefore, to ensure you are always making the right ethical decisions, you should stay up to date with ethical guidelines (both professional guidelines and institution-specific guidelines). It is not always easy to do this, but you can subscribe to nursing blogs that discuss ethical guidelines. This will ensure you always have the latest information you need to make good ethical decisions. You can also stay up to date by enrolling in at least one online ethical nursing training program or course. This will help you to refresh your ethical principles knowledge and to be aware of the latest ethical issues in nursing.

7. Always Do Something as Soon as You Can

When faced with an ethical situation, never do anything and hope the situation will resolve itself. Always do something as soon as possible. This will ensure either the issue is solved or starts getting solved. When you ignore an ethical situation, it has the risk of snowballing and becoming a much bigger issue down the line. Therefore, please do something about an issue whenever you can do it quickly.

8. Negotiating Never Hurts Anybody

One of the best things you can do when facing a nursing ethical dilemma is to negotiate with the parties involved. When you do this respectfully and fairly, you can easily resolve most ethical situations. For example, if a patient refuses a specific treatment for religious reasons, you can convince them to accept it using various persuasion techniques. Of course, you should respect the patient's decision if they insist on a certain stance or position.

9. Talk to Somebody Higher Up

As a nurse, some ethical decisions are not yours; they are above your pay grade. In such a case, they should be referred to somebody higher up, e.g., the nurse manager or the nurse supervisor. Because the manager or supervisor is usually more experienced, they are often in a much better position to handle ethical decisions and teach you what to do when faced with the same situation again.

Consequences of Failing to Address Ethical Dilemmas in Nursing Properly

When you fail to address ethical dilemmas in nursing correctly, there are often negative consequences. The most common negative consequences nurses have to deal with include the following:

1. Loss of License

When you are faced with an ethical decision, you must make sure you act in the way expected of you according to the nursing code of conduct. Failure to act in the manner that is expected of you in the nursing code of conduct can lead to loss of licensure. This is especially true when your decision in an ethical situation is an egregious violation of the nursing code of conduct or the ethical principles of nursing. Therefore, when faced with an ethical decision, it is best to consider the options carefully and to act in the way that is expected of you.

2. Legal Issues

You could face legal issues when you fail to adequately address certain ethical dilemmas in nursing. As a nurse, you have specific responsibilities. You are also expected to adhere to the nursing code of conduct. If you fail to address ethical issues correctly, e.g., you leak confidential information about a celebrity patient for money to the public, you could face legal issues, including a lawsuit and/or criminal charges. Hence it is crucial to think long and hard about some ethical issues before deciding what to do.

3. Job Suspension or Termination

Most hospitals have a code of conduct that nurses and other healthcare professionals must sign when hired. They expect nurses to follow the code to the letter. Most hospitals also expect nurses to follow the ANA code of conduct and to always adhere to the ethical principles of nursing. So when faced with an ethical situation and failing to act correctly, you could end up before the ethics committee of your hospital, and they could recommend your suspension or the termination of your job contract.

4. Stress and Burnout

Ethical situations can cause a lot of stress and mental burnout. They can make it almost impossible for you to continue operating normally. When you ignore them or make the wrong decision, you can potentially make them worse. This can lead to even more stress and even physical burnout. Consequently, it is important to make the right decisions quickly when faced with ethical problems or issues.

5. Negative Patient Outcomes

The worse thing that could happen if you don't address ethical issues correctly is an adverse patient outcome, such as patient deterioration, patient injury, or death. It is always painful for nurses to realize or discover that their decisions caused an adverse patient outcome. It can lead to stress, loss of self-confidence, and so on. Of course, an adverse patient outcome can also lead to legal issues, job suspension, and job loss. So it is best to make the correct decision whenever faced with an ethical dilemma.

Takeaway about Ethical Dilemmas in Nursing Practice

Nursing training is all-rounded in anticipation of all the issues a trained nurse would experience in typical clinical settings. Learning about ethical dilemmas and how to solve them can be a stepping stone toward excellence as a nurse or medical/healthcare practitioner. You will be dealing with many ethical dilemmas in the workplace and an experience on how to solve them can always help you avert adverse situations.

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How to Write an Ethics Paper: Guide & Ethical Essay Examples

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An ethics essay is a type of academic writing that explores ethical issues and dilemmas. Students should evaluates them in terms of moral principles and values. The purpose of an ethics essay is to examine the moral implications of a particular issue, and provide a reasoned argument in support of an ethical perspective.

Writing an essay about ethics is a tough task for most students. The process involves creating an outline to guide your arguments about a topic and planning your ideas to convince the reader of your feelings about a difficult issue. If you still need assistance putting together your thoughts in composing a good paper, you have come to the right place. We have provided a series of steps and tips to show how you can achieve success in writing. This guide will tell you how to write an ethics paper using ethical essay examples to understand every step it takes to be proficient. In case you don’t have time for writing, get in touch with our professional essay writers for hire . Our experts work hard to supply students with excellent essays.

What Is an Ethics Essay?

An ethics essay uses moral theories to build arguments on an issue. You describe a controversial problem and examine it to determine how it affects individuals or society. Ethics papers analyze arguments on both sides of a possible dilemma, focusing on right and wrong. The analysis gained can be used to solve real-life cases. Before embarking on writing an ethical essay, keep in mind that most individuals follow moral principles. From a social context perspective, these rules define how a human behaves or acts towards another. Therefore, your theme essay on ethics needs to demonstrate how a person feels about these moral principles. More specifically, your task is to show how significant that issue is and discuss if you value or discredit it.

Purpose of an Essay on Ethics

The primary purpose of an ethics essay is to initiate an argument on a moral issue using reasoning and critical evidence. Instead of providing general information about a problem, you present solid arguments about how you view the moral concern and how it affects you or society. When writing an ethical paper, you demonstrate philosophical competence, using appropriate moral perspectives and principles.

Things to Write an Essay About Ethics On

Before you start to write ethics essays, consider a topic you can easily address. In most cases, an ethical issues essay analyzes right and wrong. This includes discussing ethics and morals and how they contribute to the right behaviors. You can also talk about work ethic, code of conduct, and how employees promote or disregard the need for change. However, you can explore other areas by asking yourself what ethics mean to you. Think about how a recent game you watched with friends started a controversial argument. Or maybe a newspaper that highlighted a story you felt was misunderstood or blown out of proportion. This way, you can come up with an excellent topic that resonates with your personal ethics and beliefs.

Ethics Paper Outline

Sometimes, you will be asked to submit an outline before writing an ethics paper. Creating an outline for an ethics paper is an essential step in creating a good essay. You can use it to arrange your points and supporting evidence before writing. It also helps organize your thoughts, enabling you to fill any gaps in your ideas. The outline for an essay should contain short and numbered sentences to cover the format and outline. Each section is structured to enable you to plan your work and include all sources in writing an ethics paper. An ethics essay outline is as follows:

Background information
Thesis statement
Restate thesis statement
Summarize key points
Final thoughts on the topic

Using this outline will improve clarity and focus throughout your writing process.

Ethical Essay Structure

Ethics essays are similar to other essays based on their format, outline, and structure. An ethical essay should have a well-defined introduction, body, and conclusion section as its structure. When planning your ideas, make sure that the introduction and conclusion are around 20 percent of the paper, leaving the rest to the body. We will take a detailed look at what each part entails and give examples that are going to help you understand them better. Refer to our essay structure examples to find a fitting way of organizing your writing.

Ethics Paper Introduction

An ethics essay introduction gives a synopsis of your main argument. One step on how to write an introduction for an ethics paper is telling about the topic and describing its background information. This paragraph should be brief and straight to the point. It informs readers what your position is on that issue. Start with an essay hook to generate interest from your audience. It can be a question you will address or a misunderstanding that leads up to your main argument. You can also add more perspectives to be discussed; this will inform readers on what to expect in the paper.

Ethics Essay Introduction Example

You can find many ethics essay introduction examples on the internet. In this guide, we have written an excellent extract to demonstrate how it should be structured. As you read, examine how it begins with a hook and then provides background information on an issue.

In this example, the first sentence of the introduction makes a claim or uses a question to hook the reader.

Ethics Essay Thesis Statement

An ethics paper must contain a thesis statement in the first paragraph. Learning how to write a thesis statement for an ethics paper is necessary as readers often look at it to gauge whether the essay is worth their time.

When you deviate away from the thesis, your whole paper loses meaning. In ethics essays, your thesis statement is a roadmap in writing, stressing your position on the problem and giving reasons for taking that stance. It should focus on a specific element of the issue being discussed. When writing a thesis statement, ensure that you can easily make arguments for or against its stance.

Ethical Paper Thesis Example

Look at this example of an ethics paper thesis statement and examine how well it has been written to state a position and provide reasons for doing so:

The above thesis statement example is clear and concise, indicating that this paper will highlight the effects of dishonesty in society. Moreover, it focuses on aspects of personal and professional relationships.

Ethics Essay Body

The body section is the heart of an ethics paper as it presents the author's main points. In an ethical essay, each body paragraph has several elements that should explain your main idea. These include:

A topic sentence that is precise and reiterates your stance on the issue.
Evidence supporting it.
Examples that illustrate your argument.
A thorough analysis showing how the evidence and examples relate to that issue.
A transition sentence that connects one paragraph to another with the help of essay transitions .

When you write an ethics essay, adding relevant examples strengthens your main point and makes it easy for others to understand and comprehend your argument.

Body Paragraph for Ethics Paper Example

A good body paragraph must have a well-defined topic sentence that makes a claim and includes evidence and examples to support it. Look at part of an example of ethics essay body paragraph below and see how its idea has been developed:

Ethics Essay Conclusion

A concluding paragraph shares the summary and overview of the author's main arguments. Many students need clarification on what should be included in the essay conclusion and how best to get a reader's attention. When writing an ethics paper conclusion, consider the following:

Restate the thesis statement to emphasize your position.
Summarize its main points and evidence.
Final thoughts on the issue and any other considerations.

You can also reflect on the topic or acknowledge any possible challenges or questions that have not been answered. A closing statement should present a call to action on the problem based on your position.

Sample Ethics Paper Conclusion

The conclusion paragraph restates the thesis statement and summarizes the arguments presented in that paper. The sample conclusion for an ethical essay example below demonstrates how you should write a concluding statement.

In the above extract, the writer gives final thoughts on the topic, urging readers to adopt honest behavior.

How to Write an Ethics Paper?

As you learn how to write an ethics essay, it is not advised to immediately choose a topic and begin writing. When you follow this method, you will get stuck or fail to present concrete ideas. A good writer understands the importance of planning. As a fact, you should organize your work and ensure it captures key elements that shed more light on your arguments. Hence, following the essay structure and creating an outline to guide your writing process is the best approach. In the following segment, we have highlighted step-by-step techniques on how to write a good ethics paper.

1. Pick a Topic

Before writing ethical papers, brainstorm to find ideal topics that can be easily debated. For starters, make a list, then select a title that presents a moral issue that may be explained and addressed from opposing sides. Make sure you choose one that interests you. Here are a few ideas to help you search for topics:

Review current trends affecting people.
Think about your personal experiences.
Study different moral theories and principles.
Examine classical moral dilemmas.

Once you find a suitable topic and are ready, start to write your ethics essay, conduct preliminary research, and ascertain that there are enough sources to support it.

2. Conduct In-Depth Research

Once you choose a topic for your essay, the next step is gathering sufficient information about it. Conducting in-depth research entails looking through scholarly journals to find credible material. Ensure you note down all sources you found helpful to assist you on how to write your ethics paper. Use the following steps to help you conduct your research:

Clearly state and define a problem you want to discuss.
This will guide your research process.
Develop keywords that match the topic.
Begin searching from a wide perspective. This will allow you to collect more information, then narrow it down by using the identified words above.

3. Develop an Ethics Essay Outline

An outline will ease up your writing process when developing an ethic essay. As you develop a paper on ethics, jot down factual ideas that will build your paragraphs for each section. Include the following steps in your process:

Review the topic and information gathered to write a thesis statement.
Identify the main arguments you want to discuss and include their evidence.
Group them into sections, each presenting a new idea that supports the thesis.
Write an outline.
Review and refine it.

Examples can also be included to support your main arguments. The structure should be sequential, coherent, and with a good flow from beginning to end. When you follow all steps, you can create an engaging and organized outline that will help you write a good essay.

4. Write an Ethics Essay

Once you have selected a topic, conducted research, and outlined your main points, you can begin writing an essay . Ensure you adhere to the ethics paper format you have chosen. Start an ethics paper with an overview of your topic to capture the readers' attention. Build upon your paper by avoiding ambiguous arguments and using the outline to help you write your essay on ethics. Finish the introduction paragraph with a thesis statement that explains your main position. Expand on your thesis statement in all essay paragraphs. Each paragraph should start with a topic sentence and provide evidence plus an example to solidify your argument, strengthen the main point, and let readers see the reasoning behind your stance. Finally, conclude the essay by restating your thesis statement and summarizing all key ideas. Your conclusion should engage the reader, posing questions or urging them to reflect on the issue and how it will impact them.

5. Proofread Your Ethics Essay

Proofreading your essay is the last step as you countercheck any grammatical or structural errors in your essay. When writing your ethic paper, typical mistakes you could encounter include the following:

Spelling errors: e.g., there, they’re, their.
Homophone words: such as new vs. knew.
Inconsistencies: like mixing British and American words, e.g., color vs. color.
Formatting issues: e.g., double spacing, different font types.

While proofreading your ethical issue essay, read it aloud to detect lexical errors or ambiguous phrases that distort its meaning. Verify your information and ensure it is relevant and up-to-date. You can ask your fellow student to read the essay and give feedback on its structure and quality.

Ethics Essay Examples

Writing an essay is challenging without the right steps. There are so many ethics paper examples on the internet, however, we have provided a list of free ethics essay examples below that are well-structured and have a solid argument to help you write your paper. Click on them and see how each writing step has been integrated. Ethics essay example 1

Ethics essay example 2

Ethics essay example 3

Ethics essay example 4

College ethics essay example 5

Ethics Essay Writing Tips

When writing papers on ethics, here are several tips to help you complete an excellent essay:

Choose a narrow topic and avoid broad subjects, as it is easy to cover the topic in detail.
Ensure you have background information. A good understanding of a topic can make it easy to apply all necessary moral theories and principles in writing your paper.
State your position clearly. It is important to be sure about your stance as it will allow you to draft your arguments accordingly.
When writing ethics essays, be mindful of your audience. Provide arguments that they can understand.
Integrate solid examples into your essay. Morality can be hard to understand; therefore, using them will help a reader grasp these concepts.

Bottom Line on Writing an Ethics Paper

Creating this essay is a common exercise in academics that allows students to build critical skills. When you begin writing, state your stance on an issue and provide arguments to support your position. This guide gives information on how to write an ethics essay as well as examples of ethics papers. Remember to follow these points in your writing:

Create an outline highlighting your main points.
Write an effective introduction and provide background information on an issue.
Include a thesis statement.
Develop concrete arguments and their counterarguments, and use examples.
Sum up all your key points in your conclusion and restate your thesis statement.

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200 Ethical Topics & Questions to Debate in Essay

Ethical topics and questions are essential for stimulating thoughtful discussions and deepening our understanding of complex moral landscapes. Ethics, the study of what is right and wrong, underpins many aspects of human life and societal functioning. Whether you're crafting an essay or preparing for a debate, delving into ethical issues allows you to explore various perspectives and develop critical thinking skills.

Ethical issues encompass a wide range of dilemmas and conflicts where individuals or societies must choose between competing moral principles. Understanding what are ethical issues involves recognizing situations that challenge our values, behaviors, and decisions. This article provides a thorough guide to ethical topics, offering insights into current ethical issues, and presenting a detailed list of questions and topics to inspire your writing and debates.

Ethical Issues Definition

Ethical issues refer to situations where a decision, action, or policy conflicts with ethical principles or societal norms. These dilemmas often involve a choice between competing values or interests, such as fairness vs. efficiency, privacy vs. security, or individual rights vs. collective good. Ethical issues arise in various fields, including medicine, business, technology, and the environment. They challenge individuals and organizations to consider the moral implications of their actions and to seek solutions that align with ethical standards. Understanding ethical issues requires an analysis of both the potential benefits and the moral costs associated with different courses of action.

⭐ Top 10 Ethical Topics [2024]

Climate Change Responsibility
Data Privacy in the Digital Age
Genetic Engineering
Euthanasia and Assisted Suicide
Corporate Social Responsibility
AI and Automation
Animal Rights
Freedom of Speech vs. Hate Speech
Healthcare Accessibility
Human Rights in the Age of Globalization

Ethics Essay Writing Guide

Writing an ethics essay involves more than just presenting facts; it requires a thoughtful analysis of moral principles and their application to real-world scenarios. Understanding ethical topics and what constitutes ethical issues is essential for crafting a compelling essay. Here’s a guide to help you address current ethical issues effectively:

Choose a Clear Topic: Select an ethical issue that is both interesting and relevant. Understanding the definition of ethical issues will help you narrow down your choices.
Research Thoroughly: Gather information from credible sources to support your arguments. Knowing what ethical issues are and how they are defined can provide a solid foundation for your research.
Present Multiple Perspectives: Show an understanding of different viewpoints on the issue. This will demonstrate your grasp of the complexity of current ethical issues.
Use Real-world Examples: Illustrate your points with concrete examples. This not only strengthens your arguments but also helps to explain ethical topics in a relatable way.
Structure Your Essay: Organize your essay with a clear introduction, body, and conclusion. A well-structured essay makes it easier to present your analysis of ethical issues.
Provide a Balanced Argument: Weigh the pros and cons to offer a well-rounded discussion. Addressing various aspects of current ethical issues will make your essay more comprehensive.
Conclude Thoughtfully: Summarize your findings and reflect on the broader implications of the issue. This is where you can discuss the impact of ethical issues on society and future considerations.

By following this guide, you will be able to write an ethics essay that not only presents facts but also offers a deep and nuanced analysis of ethical topics.

Selecting the Right Research Topic in Ethics

Choosing the right research topic in ethics can be challenging, but it is crucial for writing an engaging and insightful essay. Here are some tips:

Relevance: Ensure the topic is relevant to current societal issues.
Interest: Pick a topic that genuinely interests you.
Scope: Choose a topic with enough scope for research and debate.
Complexity: Aim for a topic that is complex enough to allow for in-depth analysis.
Availability of Sources: Make sure there are enough resources available to support your research.

What Style Should an Ethics Essay Be Written In?

When writing an ethics essay, it is essential to adopt a formal and objective style. Clarity and conciseness are paramount, as the essay should avoid unnecessary jargon and overly complex sentences that might obscure the main points. Maintaining objectivity is crucial; presenting arguments without bias ensures that the discussion remains balanced and fair. Proper citations are vital to give credit to sources and uphold academic integrity.

Engaging the reader through a logical flow of ideas is important, as it helps sustain interest and facilitates a better understanding of the ethical topics being discussed. Additionally, the essay should be persuasive, making compelling arguments supported by evidence to effectively convey the analysis of moral issues. By following these guidelines, the essay will not only be informative but also impactful in its examination of ethical dilemmas.

List of Current Ethical Issues

The impact of social media on privacy.
Ethical considerations in genetic cloning.
Balancing national security with individual rights.
Privacy concerns in the digital age.
The ethics of biohacking.
Ethical considerations in space exploration.
The ethics of surveillance and data collection by governments and corporations.
Ethical issues in the use of facial recognition technology.
The ethical implications of autonomous vehicles.
The morality of animal testing in scientific research.
Ethical concerns in the gig economy.
The impact of climate change on ethical business practices.
The ethics of consumer data usage by companies.
Ethical dilemmas in end-of-life care and assisted suicide.
The role of ethics in the development of renewable energy sources.

Ethical Issues in Psychology

Confidentiality vs. duty to warn in therapy.
Ethical dilemmas in psychological research.
The use of placebo in psychological treatment.
Ethical issues in the treatment of vulnerable populations.
The ethics of involuntary commitment and treatment.
Dual relationships and conflicts of interest in therapy.
The use of deception in psychological experiments.
The ethics of cognitive enhancement drugs.
Ethical considerations in online therapy and telepsychology.
Cultural competence and ethical practice in psychology.
The ethics of forensic psychology and assessment.
The impact of social media on mental health and ethical practice.
The use of emerging technologies in psychological treatment.
Ethical issues in the diagnosis and treatment of mental disorders.
The role of ethics in psychological testing and assessment.

Ethical Debate Topics

Is capital punishment morally justified?
Should organ donation be mandatory?
The ethics of artificial intelligence in warfare.
Is euthanasia ethically permissible?
Should human cloning be allowed?
The morality of animal rights vs. human benefit.
Is it ethical to use animals for entertainment?
Should there be limits on free speech?
The ethics of genetic modification in humans.
Is it ethical to have mandatory vaccinations?
The morality of government surveillance programs.
Should assisted reproductive technologies be regulated?
The ethics of using performance-enhancing drugs in sports.
Should healthcare be considered a human right?
The ethical implications of wealth inequality and redistribution.

Medical Ethics Topics

Ariel Case Study: a Comprehensive Analysis
The Case for and Against Daylight Saving Time
Technological Advancements in Medical, Educational & Other Fields
The Language of Medicine
Medical Ethics: Beneficence and Non-maleficence
Overview of What Sonography is
The Use of Steroids and HGH in Sports
Media and The Scientific Community Treat People Like Tools
Informative Speech for Organ Donation
Medicine in Our World
The Origin of Medical Terminology
Preserving Sight: My Journey to Becoming an Optometrist
Case of Dr. Eric Poehlman's Ethical Violation
Should The NHS Treat Patients with Self-Inflicted Illnesses
My Education as a Medical Technologist

Ethics Essay Topics on Business

Ethics Report on Panasonic Corporation
Case Study on The ACS Code of Morals
Differences in Business Ethics Among East Asian Countries
Business Ethics in Sports
Business Ethics in Different Countries, and Its Importance
Selfless Service and Its Impact on Social Change
Challenges in Doing Business Across The Border
The Importance of Ethics in Advertising
Ethical Issues that Businesses Face
Profitability of Business Ethics
The Law and Morality in Business
How Ethnic Variances Effect Worldwide Business
The Ethical Practices in The Business Sector in the Modern Economy
Key Responsibilities and Code of Ethics in Engineering Profession
Analysis of The Code of Ethics in Walmart

Ethics Essay Topics on Environment

Understanding The Importance of Keeping Animals Safe
The Importance of Treating Animals with Respect
CWU and The Issue of Chimpanzee Captivity
The Process of Suicidal Reproduction in the Animal World
Analysis of The Egg Industry to Understand The Causes of The High Prices in Eggs
The Dangers of Zoos
Importance for Animals to Be Free from Harm by Humans
Should Animals Be Killed for The Benefit of Humans
Reasons Why Genetic Engineering Should Be Banned
What I Learned in Ethics Class: Environmental Ethics
Nanotechnology and Environment
Review of The Environmental Protection Act
How The Idea of Preservation of Nature Can Benefit from Environmental Ethics
The Relation and Controversy Between American Diet and Environmental Ethics
Green Technology

Work Ethics Essay Topics

The impact of workplace surveillance on employee privacy.
Ethical considerations in remote work.
Discrimination in the workplace.
An Examination of Addiction to Work in The Protestant Work Ethic
The Work Ethic of The Millennials
My Understanding of The Proper Environment in the Workplace
Social Responsibility & Ethics Management Program in Business
The Maternity Benefits Act, 1961
The Issue of Stealing in The Workplace
Chinese Work Management and Business Identity
Ethical Issues of Using Social Media at the Workplace
The Teleological Ethical Theories
Learning Journal on Ethical Conflicts, Environmental Issues, and Social Responsibilities
Social Media at Workplace: Ethics and Influence
Ethical Issue of Employees Stealing and Whistleblowing

Ethics Essay Topics on Philosophy

A Critical Analysis of Ethical Dilemmas in Education and Beyond
Overview of What an Ethical Dilemma is
The Implications of Exculpatory Language
Ethical Dilemmas in End-of-life Decision Making
What I Learned in Ethics Class: Integrating Ethics in Aviation
Doing What is Right is not Always Popular: Philosophy of Ethics
An Analysis of Public Trust and Corporate Ethics
Ethical Concerns of Beauty Pageants
Simone De Beauvoir’s Contribution to Philosophy and Ethics
The Impact on Decision-making and Life Choices
Importance and Improvement of Personal Ethics
Personal Ethics and Integrity in Our Life
Analysis of The Philosophical Concept of Virtue Ethics
Understanding Moral Action
How to Become a Gentleman
A Call for Emphasis on Private Morality and Virtue Teaching
A Positive Spin on Ethical Marketing in The Gambling Industry
An Overview of The Ethical Dilemma in a Personal Case
Bioethical Principles and Professional Responsibilities
Ethical Considerations in Counseling Adolescents
Ethical Dilemma in College Life
Ethical Theories: Deontology and Utilitarianism
Issues of Fraud, Ethics, and Regulation in Healthcare
Navigating Ethical Dimensions in Education
The Ethical Landscape of Advanced Technology
Research Paper on The Ethical Issue of Publishing The Pentagon Papers
The Trolley Problem: an Ethical Dilemma
Analysis of "To The Bitter End" Case Study
Ethical Theories: Virtue and Utilitarian Ethics
Feminist Ethics: Deconstructing Gender and Morality
Is Deadpool a Hero Research Paper
My Moral and Ethical Stance
The Concept of Ethics and The Pursuit of Happiness
The Ethics of Graphic Photojournalism
The Quintessence of Justice: a Critical Evaluation of Juror 11's Role
The Wolf of Wall Street: Ethics of Greed
The Importance of Ethics in Our Daily Life
Analysis of The Envy Emotion and My Emotional Norms
The Topic of Animal Rights in Relation to The Virtue Theory

Ethics Essay Topics on Science

The Cause of Cancer as Illustrated in a Bioethics Study
Bioethical Issues Related to Genetic Engineering
Ethical Issues in Stem Cell Research
The Role of Ethics Committees in Biomedical Research
The Legal and Bioethical Aspects of Personalised Medicine Based on Genetic Composition
The Ethics of Clinical Trials: Ensuring Informed Consent and Patient Safety
Ethical Challenges in Neuroethics: Brain Privacy and Cognitive Liberty
Gene Therapy: Ethical Dilemmas and Social Implications
Overview of Bioethics The Trigger of Contentious Moral Topics
The Progression of Bioethics and Its Importance
The Impact of Artificial Intelligence on Medical Ethics
The Drawbacks of Free Healthcare: Economic, Quality, and Access Issues
Bioethical Issues in My Sister’s Keeper: Having Your Autonomy Taken to Save Your Sibling
The Ethics of Biotechnology in Agriculture: GMOs and Food Safety
Ethical Considerations in Organ Donation and Transplantation

List of Ethical Questions for Students

Exploring ethical topics is crucial for students to develop critical thinking and moral reasoning. Here is a comprehensive list of ethical questions for students to discuss and debate. These topics cover a wide range of issues, encouraging thoughtful discussion and deeper understanding.

Good Ethical Questions for Discussion

Is it ethical to eat meat?
Should parents have the right to genetically modify their children?
Is it ever acceptable to lie?
Should schools monitor students' social media activity?
Is it ethical to use animals in scientific research?
Should companies be allowed to patent human genes?
Is it right to impose cultural values on others?
Should the government regulate internet content?
Is it ethical to have designer babies?
Should wealthy countries help poorer nations?
Is it ethical to keep animals in zoos?
Should there be limits to freedom of speech?
Is it right to use artificial intelligence in decision-making?
Should we prioritize privacy over security?
Is it ethical to manipulate emotions through advertising?

Moral Questions to Debate

Is genetic modification in humans ethical?
Should vaccinations be mandatory?
Is government surveillance justified?
Is it ethical to use performance-enhancing drugs in sports?
Is wealth inequality morally acceptable?
Should education be free for everyone?
Is it ethical to allow autonomous robots to make life-and-death decisions?

Ethical topics and questions are a rich field for exploration and discussion. Examining these issues, we can better understand the moral principles that guide our actions and decisions. Whether you're writing an essay or preparing for a debate, this comprehensive list of ethical topics and questions will help you engage with complex moral dilemmas and develop your critical thinking skills.

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101 Ethical Dilemma Essay Topic Ideas & Examples

Inside This Article

Ethical dilemmas are situations in which individuals are faced with conflicting moral choices. These dilemmas can arise in a variety of contexts, from personal relationships to professional settings. Writing an essay exploring ethical dilemmas can help you develop critical thinking skills and engage with complex moral issues.

To help you get started, here are 101 ethical dilemma essay topic ideas and examples:

Should parents have the right to choose their child's gender?
Is it ethical to use animals for scientific research?
Should doctors be allowed to assist terminally ill patients in ending their lives?
Is it ethical for companies to use data mining to target consumers with personalized ads?
Should schools teach students about different religious beliefs?
Is it ethical to use drones for military surveillance?
Should athletes be allowed to use performance-enhancing drugs?
Is it ethical to genetically modify crops to increase yield?
Should governments regulate the use of social media to prevent misinformation?
Is it ethical to use sweatshop labor to produce cheap goods?
Should companies be required to disclose the environmental impact of their products?
Is it ethical to use algorithms to make hiring decisions?
Should parents be allowed to track their children's online activity?
Is it ethical to use artificial intelligence in criminal justice systems?
Should doctors be allowed to prescribe placebos to patients?
Is it ethical to use genetic testing to screen for diseases?
Should schools monitor students' social media activity to prevent cyberbullying?
Is it ethical to use facial recognition technology for law enforcement purposes?
Should companies be required to pay a living wage to their employees?
Is it ethical to use virtual reality to simulate traumatic experiences for therapy?
Should journalists be allowed to publish leaked government documents?
Is it ethical to use animals for entertainment purposes, such as in circuses?
Should governments regulate the use of AI in autonomous weapons?
Is it ethical to use predictive policing algorithms to prevent crime?
Should companies be required to provide paid parental leave to employees?
Is it ethical to use gene editing technology to create designer babies?
Should schools teach students about the ethical implications of climate change?
Is it ethical to use facial recognition technology in public spaces?
Should employers be allowed to monitor employees' internet usage?
Is it ethical to use AI to create deepfake videos?
Should doctors be allowed to perform cosmetic surgery on minors?
Is it ethical to use drones for environmental monitoring?
Should companies be required to disclose their political donations?
Is it ethical to use social media algorithms to manipulate user behavior?
Should governments regulate the use of biometric data for security purposes?
Is it ethical to use gene editing technology to cure genetic diseases?
Should schools teach students about the ethical implications of artificial intelligence?
Is it ethical to use facial recognition technology in schools?
Should employers be allowed to use AI to make hiring decisions?
Is it ethical to use predictive analytics to assess creditworthiness?
Should companies be required to disclose the gender pay gap?
Is it ethical to use AI to create personalized healthcare treatments?
Should doctors be allowed to perform experimental treatments on patients?
Is it ethical to use drones for wildlife conservation?
Should governments regulate the use of AI in financial markets?
Is it ethical to use facial recognition technology for identity verification?
Should employers be allowed to use AI to monitor employee productivity?
Is it ethical to use gene editing technology to create new species?
Should schools teach students about the ethical implications of genetic engineering?
Is it ethical to use facial recognition technology in airports?
Should companies be required to disclose their carbon footprint?
Is it ethical to use AI to predict criminal behavior?
Should doctors be allowed to prescribe psychedelics for mental health treatment?
Is it ethical to use drones for disaster response?
Should governments regulate the use of AI in healthcare?
Is it ethical to use facial recognition technology in law enforcement?
Should employers be allowed to use AI to monitor employee emotions?
Is it ethical to use gene editing technology to create designer pets?
Should schools teach students about the ethical implications of nanotechnology?
Is it ethical to use facial recognition technology in retail stores?
Should companies be required to disclose their use of data analytics?
Is it ethical to use AI to predict job performance?
Should doctors be allowed to assist patients in medical tourism?
Is it ethical to use drones for agricultural monitoring?
Should governments regulate the use of AI in transportation?
Is it ethical to use facial recognition technology in public transportation?
Should employers be allowed to use AI to monitor employee health? 68

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A Framework for Ethical Decision Making

Markkula Center for Applied Ethics
Ethics Resources

This document is designed as an introduction to thinking ethically. Read more about what the framework can (and cannot) do .

We all have an image of our better selves—of how we are when we act ethically or are “at our best.” We probably also have an image of what an ethical community, an ethical business, an ethical government, or an ethical society should be. Ethics really has to do with all these levels—acting ethically as individuals, creating ethical organizations and governments, and making our society as a whole more ethical in the way it treats everyone.

What is Ethics?

Ethics refers to standards and practices that tell us how human beings ought to act in the many situations in which they find themselves—as friends, parents, children, citizens, businesspeople, professionals, and so on. Ethics is also concerned with our character. It requires knowledge, skills, and habits.

It is helpful to identify what ethics is NOT:

Ethics is not the same as feelings . Feelings do provide important information for our ethical choices. However, while some people have highly developed habits that make them feel bad when they do something wrong, others feel good even though they are doing something wrong. And, often, our feelings will tell us that it is uncomfortable to do the right thing if it is difficult.
Ethics is not the same as religion . Many people are not religious but act ethically, and some religious people act unethically. Religious traditions can, however, develop and advocate for high ethical standards, such as the Golden Rule.
Ethics is not the same thing as following the law. A good system of law does incorporate many ethical standards, but law can deviate from what is ethical. Law can become ethically corrupt—a function of power alone and designed to serve the interests of narrow groups. Law may also have a difficult time designing or enforcing standards in some important areas and may be slow to address new problems.
Ethics is not the same as following culturally accepted norms . Cultures can include both ethical and unethical customs, expectations, and behaviors. While assessing norms, it is important to recognize how one’s ethical views can be limited by one’s own cultural perspective or background, alongside being culturally sensitive to others.
Ethics is not science . Social and natural science can provide important data to help us make better and more informed ethical choices. But science alone does not tell us what we ought to do. Some things may be scientifically or technologically possible and yet unethical to develop and deploy.

Six Ethical Lenses

If our ethical decision-making is not solely based on feelings, religion, law, accepted social practice, or science, then on what basis can we decide between right and wrong, good and bad? Many philosophers, ethicists, and theologians have helped us answer this critical question. They have suggested a variety of different lenses that help us perceive ethical dimensions. Here are six of them:

The Rights Lens

Some suggest that the ethical action is the one that best protects and respects the moral rights of those affected. This approach starts from the belief that humans have a dignity based on their human nature per se or on their ability to choose freely what they do with their lives. On the basis of such dignity, they have a right to be treated as ends in themselves and not merely as means to other ends. The list of moral rights—including the rights to make one's own choices about what kind of life to lead, to be told the truth, not to be injured, to a degree of privacy, and so on—is widely debated; some argue that non-humans have rights, too. Rights are also often understood as implying duties—in particular, the duty to respect others' rights and dignity.

( For further elaboration on the rights lens, please see our essay, “Rights.” )

The Justice Lens

Justice is the idea that each person should be given their due, and what people are due is often interpreted as fair or equal treatment. Equal treatment implies that people should be treated as equals according to some defensible standard such as merit or need, but not necessarily that everyone should be treated in the exact same way in every respect. There are different types of justice that address what people are due in various contexts. These include social justice (structuring the basic institutions of society), distributive justice (distributing benefits and burdens), corrective justice (repairing past injustices), retributive justice (determining how to appropriately punish wrongdoers), and restorative or transformational justice (restoring relationships or transforming social structures as an alternative to criminal punishment).

( For further elaboration on the justice lens, please see our essay, “Justice and Fairness.” )

The Utilitarian Lens

Some ethicists begin by asking, “How will this action impact everyone affected?”—emphasizing the consequences of our actions. Utilitarianism, a results-based approach, says that the ethical action is the one that produces the greatest balance of good over harm for as many stakeholders as possible. It requires an accurate determination of the likelihood of a particular result and its impact. For example, the ethical corporate action, then, is the one that produces the greatest good and does the least harm for all who are affected—customers, employees, shareholders, the community, and the environment. Cost/benefit analysis is another consequentialist approach.

( For further elaboration on the utilitarian lens, please see our essay, “Calculating Consequences.” )

The Common Good Lens

According to the common good approach, life in community is a good in itself and our actions should contribute to that life. This approach suggests that the interlocking relationships of society are the basis of ethical reasoning and that respect and compassion for all others—especially the vulnerable—are requirements of such reasoning. This approach also calls attention to the common conditions that are important to the welfare of everyone—such as clean air and water, a system of laws, effective police and fire departments, health care, a public educational system, or even public recreational areas. Unlike the utilitarian lens, which sums up and aggregates goods for every individual, the common good lens highlights mutual concern for the shared interests of all members of a community.

( For further elaboration on the common good lens, please see our essay, “The Common Good.” )

The Virtue Lens

A very ancient approach to ethics argues that ethical actions ought to be consistent with certain ideal virtues that provide for the full development of our humanity. These virtues are dispositions and habits that enable us to act according to the highest potential of our character and on behalf of values like truth and beauty. Honesty, courage, compassion, generosity, tolerance, love, fidelity, integrity, fairness, self-control, and prudence are all examples of virtues. Virtue ethics asks of any action, “What kind of person will I become if I do this?” or “Is this action consistent with my acting at my best?”

( For further elaboration on the virtue lens, please see our essay, “Ethics and Virtue.” )

The Care Ethics Lens

Care ethics is rooted in relationships and in the need to listen and respond to individuals in their specific circumstances, rather than merely following rules or calculating utility. It privileges the flourishing of embodied individuals in their relationships and values interdependence, not just independence. It relies on empathy to gain a deep appreciation of the interest, feelings, and viewpoints of each stakeholder, employing care, kindness, compassion, generosity, and a concern for others to resolve ethical conflicts. Care ethics holds that options for resolution must account for the relationships, concerns, and feelings of all stakeholders. Focusing on connecting intimate interpersonal duties to societal duties, an ethics of care might counsel, for example, a more holistic approach to public health policy that considers food security, transportation access, fair wages, housing support, and environmental protection alongside physical health.

( For further elaboration on the care ethics lens, please see our essay, “Care Ethics.” )

Using the Lenses

Each of the lenses introduced above helps us determine what standards of behavior and character traits can be considered right and good. There are still problems to be solved, however.

The first problem is that we may not agree on the content of some of these specific lenses. For example, we may not all agree on the same set of human and civil rights. We may not agree on what constitutes the common good. We may not even agree on what is a good and what is a harm.

The second problem is that the different lenses may lead to different answers to the question “What is ethical?” Nonetheless, each one gives us important insights in the process of deciding what is ethical in a particular circumstance.

Making Decisions

Making good ethical decisions requires a trained sensitivity to ethical issues and a practiced method for exploring the ethical aspects of a decision and weighing the considerations that should impact our choice of a course of action. Having a method for ethical decision-making is essential. When practiced regularly, the method becomes so familiar that we work through it automatically without consulting the specific steps.

The more novel and difficult the ethical choice we face, the more we need to rely on discussion and dialogue with others about the dilemma. Only by careful exploration of the problem, aided by the insights and different perspectives of others, can we make good ethical choices in such situations.

The following framework for ethical decision-making is intended to serve as a practical tool for exploring ethical dilemmas and identifying ethical courses of action.

Identify the Ethical Issues

Could this decision or situation be damaging to someone or to some group, or unevenly beneficial to people? Does this decision involve a choice between a good and bad alternative, or perhaps between two “goods” or between two “bads”?
Is this issue about more than solely what is legal or what is most efficient? If so, how?

Get the Facts

What are the relevant facts of the case? What facts are not known? Can I learn more about the situation? Do I know enough to make a decision?
What individuals and groups have an important stake in the outcome? Are the concerns of some of those individuals or groups more important? Why?
What are the options for acting? Have all the relevant persons and groups been consulted? Have I identified creative options?

Evaluate Alternative Actions

Evaluate the options by asking the following questions:
Which option best respects the rights of all who have a stake? (The Rights Lens)
Which option treats people fairly, giving them each what they are due? (The Justice Lens)
Which option will produce the most good and do the least harm for as many stakeholders as possible? (The Utilitarian Lens)
Which option best serves the community as a whole, not just some members? (The Common Good Lens)
Which option leads me to act as the sort of person I want to be? (The Virtue Lens)
Which option appropriately takes into account the relationships, concerns, and feelings of all stakeholders? (The Care Ethics Lens)

Choose an Option for Action and Test It

After an evaluation using all of these lenses, which option best addresses the situation?
If I told someone I respect (or a public audience) which option I have chosen, what would they say?
How can my decision be implemented with the greatest care and attention to the concerns of all stakeholders?

Implement Your Decision and Reflect on the Outcome

How did my decision turn out, and what have I learned from this specific situation? What (if any) follow-up actions should I take?

This framework for thinking ethically is the product of dialogue and debate at the Markkula Center for Applied Ethics at Santa Clara University. Primary contributors include Manuel Velasquez, Dennis Moberg, Michael J. Meyer, Thomas Shanks, Margaret R. McLean, David DeCosse, Claire André, Kirk O. Hanson, Irina Raicu, and Jonathan Kwan. It was last revised on November 5, 2021.

Frontline Initiative Code of Ethics

The right decision method: an approach for solving ethical dilemmas.

Annie Johnson Sirek, MSW is a Project Coordinator at the Institute on Community Integration at the University of Minnesota. She thanks Marianne and Julie of the Human Services Research Institute, and Amy and Derek of the University of Minnesota, for developing this method to use in daily practice and training.

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What is an ethical dilemma?

An ethical dilemma requires a person to define right from wrong. But, as Direct Support Professionals (DSPs), we know that this is not so simple. We face difficult decisions in our daily practice. There are often many different rules, principles, and opinions at play. We are called to respond in allegiance to the individuals we support. The National Alliance for Direct Support Professionals (NADSP) Code of Ethics provides a roadmap to assist in resolving ethical dilemmas.

How do I resolve ethical dilemmas?

Ethical dilemmas can be resolved through effective decision-making. Since we are so often called upon to make independent judgments, it is important to incorporate the NADSP Code of Ethics within our daily practice. Many ethical dilemmas can be resolved easily with consultation and reflection. However, some issues cannot. Therefore, to help make it easier to solve difficult ethical dilemmas, consider a framework from which to work. The College of Direct Support has provided an approach to ethical decision-making with the NADSP Code of Ethics. This is called the RIGHT Decision Method.

RIGHT Decision Method

Recognize the ethical dilemma.
Identify points of view.
Gather resources and assistance.
Have a plan.
Take action based on ethical standards.

What is the RIGHT Decision Method?

Sometimes there really is a “right” way to make decisions under difficult conditions. The RIGHT Decision Method gives us tools to make sound ethical decisions and resolve ethical dilemmas. RIGHT is an acronym that stands for each step of the decision-making process:

R: Recognize the ethical dilemma.

The first step is recognizing the conflicting obligations and clearly stating the dilemma. It is important to recognize and use the NADSP Code of Ethics as you begin with this step. You may consider —

In what ways is the Code of Ethics applicable to this issue?

I: Identify points of view.

The second step is identifying points of view in the situation. This means considering the viewpoint of the person receiving services, your colleagues, other parties involved, and the NADSP Code of Ethics. Restating the problem clearly to someone else can also help you check out whether you have interpreted the situation accurately. It is important to understand how the person receiving supports feels. Consider —

What does the person receiving support expect? 
Then think about others who are involved in the situation and how they feel. 
What do these individuals want or need?

G: Gather resources and assistance.

The third step is gathering resources and assistance that might help you figure out what to do. Now that you have an accurate understanding for the problem and various perspectives, this step encourages you to consider other people who may be able to assist you. You may also need to find important information. For example —

Are there agency policies that could be considered? What do these documents say? Are there any laws or regulations in the state that may influence your decision-making? 
Is this a situation where legal advice is needed? Does the person have a legal representative who must be involved? 
Are there community resources that might help resolve the problem?

H: Have a plan.

The fourth step means that you are ready to make your decision. Formulating a plan will help you decide the best way to put your ideas into action. Once you have considered the following issues, write a plan down and identify step-by-step actions that you plan to take —

Whom must you speak to first? What will you say? What preparations will you make? 
What steps can you take to ensure the best possible outcome for your decision? 
How might people react?

T: Take action based on ethical standards.

The fifth and final step is implementing the plan you developed in the manner you decided. Then, it is important to monitor its success using the success indicators you identified in the planning process to help you reflect on your decision —

What worked well and why? 
What did not work well and why? 
What would you do differently after you have evaluated your outcomes? 
Taylor, M., Silver, J., Hewitt, A., & Nord, D. (2006). Applying ethics in everyday work (Lesson 3) . In College of Direct Support course: Direct support professionalism (Revision 2) . DirectCourse.

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Resolving Ethical Dilemmas

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There are a lot of factors affecting the way that a person can solve an ethical dilemma. For example, a person of higher power conforms less to other people’s opinions on the individual’s decision (Pitesa and Thau 36). This, of course, does not affect most people’s way of making ethical choices. However, if the person that intends to buy the house has a lot of power, they will probably do whatever it takes to buy it with no concern about others’ opinions. Nevertheless, this person is already concerned with the ethical dilemma, which means that they are indeed worried either about the rectitude of this decision or about what other people will think of it. Either way, this person is presented with a tough choice, especially if they are indeed taking into account the judgment of others.

There are other factors that ethical decision making science has been troubled with for two decades now; those are demographic and occupational factors (Kuntz et al. 318). The race, gender, social status and other related characteristics of a person are likely to affect their decision as well. Considering that this may be an argument between younger and older generations, one can argue that there is a significant difference between the way that both house owners and the person that wants to buy the house perceive the situation. It is hard for elderly to sell their house in the first place. Furthermore, if they will know that the house will be torn down, their agreement may be well out of the question.

Finally, there is a factor of whether or not the person had already experienced a need to face ethical dilemmas and come to a certain solution. While some researchers believe that any individual is facing new moral dilemma independently and without regard for other ethical predicaments they were involved in, it has been proven that people are able to learn from previous experience regarding ethical problems (Crossan et al. 574). So the person that is willing to buy the house will also have to take notice of any possible previous encounters with any moral dilemma because it is a way to evaluate the current situation and prepare for almost every possible outcome.

To summarize, there is a significant number of factors that influence each person’s ability to resolve ethical dilemmas. Aside from the factors that were mentioned in this chapter, there are also such factors as beliefs, religion, political agenda, etc. Thus, the difficulty of finding a solution becomes increasingly higher with each new factor affecting person’s ability to decide. However, ethical decision making also offers some solutions to facilitate the process. The solutions include estimating the predicament, consulting specialists, and various others. With each step carried out in full, the time it takes to find a solution becomes significantly shorter.

The problem that the person is facing may be resolved in different ways. Each way will have its benefits as well as disadvantages. Furthermore, – and this may be even more important – there will be considerable differences in how each way is regarded by the person’s relatives, closed ones and those of the elderly couple. Therefore, the perfect solution must not only resolve the dilemma but also ensure that no grudges will be held against the person that was caught in this predicament.

One of the first solutions that the individual may consider is not buying the house at all. Needless to say, that there are almost no benefits for the person in this solution whatsoever. On the other hand, the elderly couple also does not profit from this solution in any significant way, aside from the fact that they will keep the house. Public relation to this resolution will be positively neutral. Thus, the dilemma is resolved without any further problems. This is the most risk-free outcome that may be considered.

The further possible option is buying the house without subsequent demolition. This option is the one that takes into account only one side of the question. The person’s interests are not represented in any way. Therefore, it will be the one that is most accepted by the public. Furthermore, many are likely to agree to this solution as the most ethical one. It is only natural considering the fact that the only thing that the elderly couple is asking is to keep the house as it is because it holds a significant personal value to them. The only disadvantage of this way of solving the problem, of course, is that the person will get only one-half of what they desired when considering buying the house.

Finally, the third option will be the one that others will view as the most unethical one. This is an option of buying the house while promising the elderly couple that it will remain the same, and then tearing it down. This solution is the one that fully satisfies the desires of the person that wants to buy the house. Moreover, there will be next to no way for the elderly couple to reclaim their property, let alone rebuild the house. Of course, the person may try to reason with the elderly couple arguing that sooner or later the house will need a lot of reparations, and it is likely that the house will be demolished anyway. However, the chances that the elderly couple will agree to this are insignificant.

As it becomes evident after considering every option, there is almost no way of satisfying both sides of the dilemma. Each way of dealing with the problem will only include a solution for the one hand of the predicament. Therefore, the decision about buying the house or not buying it at all will depend on what kind of person it is that wants to acquire the property. Again, the most neutral solution that will not conclude in any ethical conflicts is not to buy the house at all. The person should probably consider finding another property to build their house on.

As for my ethical perspective, I believe that it would not have any influence on the recommendation. Firstly, because I can perceive the situation from every angle with evaluation of each solution’s benefits and disadvantages. And secondly, the person asks to decide which solution would be right and what outcomes are possible. There was no request for my ethical evaluation of this dilemma. Therefore, I am confident that my recommendation would not be affected by my ethical perspective. Concerning other’s sharing my view or disagreeing with me, I believe that there will always be people that support my opinion, and there will always be some that disagree. Thus, I am not able to accurately predict what part will be prevalent.

Tyler’s good moves:

Market researched in advance;
Made a profitable counteroffer;
Positively evaluated his abilities;
Proposed a solution.

Tyler’s poor moves:

Cancelled other upcoming interviews;
Only focused on salary during the interview.

Crossan, Mary et al. “In Search of Virtue: The Role of Virtues, Values and Character Strengths in Ethical Decision Making.” Journal of Business Ethics , vol. 113, no. 4, 2013, pp. 567-581.

Kuntz, Joanna et al. “Characterizing Ethical Cases: A Cross-Cultural Investigation of Individual Differences, Organisational Climate, and Leadership on Ethical Decision-Making.” Journal of Business Ethics , vol. 113, no. 2, 2013, pp. 317-331.

Pitesa, Marko, and Stefan Thau. “Compliant Sinners, Obstinate Saints: How Power and Self-focus Determine the Effectiveness of Social Influences in Ethical Decision Making.” Academy of Management Journal , vol. 56, no. 3, 2013, pp.635-658.

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Ethical Dilemma

A problem in the decision-making process between two possible but unacceptable options from an ethical perspective

What is an Ethical Dilemma?

An ethical dilemma (ethical paradox or moral dilemma) is a problem in the decision-making process between two possible options, neither of which is absolutely acceptable from an ethical perspective. Although we face many ethical and moral problems in our lives, most of them come with relatively straightforward solutions.

Ethical Dilemma - Image of a businessman trying to make a decision

On the other hand, ethical dilemmas are extremely complicated challenges that cannot be easily solved. Therefore, the ability to find the optimal solution in such situations is critical to everyone.

Every person may encounter an ethical dilemma in almost every aspect of their life, including personal, social, and professional .

How to Solve an Ethical Dilemma?

The biggest challenge of an ethical dilemma is that it does not offer an obvious solution that would comply with ethics al norms. Throughout the history of humanity, people have faced such dilemmas, and philosophers aimed and worked to find solutions to them.

The following approaches to solve an ethical dilemma were deduced:

Refute the paradox (dilemma): The situation must be carefully analyzed. In some cases, the existence of the dilemma can be logically refuted.
Value theory approach: Choose the alternative that offers the greater good or the lesser evil.
Find alternative solutions: In some cases, the problem can be reconsidered, and new alternative solutions may arise.

Some examples of ethical dilemma include:

Taking credit for others’ work
Offering a client a worse product for your own profit
Utilizing inside knowledge for your own profit

Ethical Dilemmas in Business

Ethical dilemmas are especially significant in professional life, as they frequently occur in the workplace. Some companies and professional organizations (e.g., CFA ) adhere to their own codes of conduct and ethical standards. Violation of the standards may lead to disciplinary sanctions.

Almost every aspect of business can become a possible ground for ethical dilemmas. It may include relationships with co-workers, management, clients, and business partners.

People’s inability to determine the optimal solution to such dilemmas in a professional setting may result in serious consequences for businesses and organizations. The situation may be common in companies that value results the most.

In order to solve ethical problems, companies and organizations should develop strict ethical standards for their employees. Every company must demonstrate its concerns regarding the ethical norms within the organization. In addition, companies may provide ethical training for their employees.

More Resources

CFI now offers the Business Essentials Bundle with courses on Microsoft Excel, Word, and PowerPoint, business communication, data visualization, and an understanding of corporate strategy. To keep learning, we suggest these resources:

Business Ethics
Kantian Ethics
Types of Due Diligence
Whistleblower Policy
See all ESG resources

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A business journal from the Wharton School of the University of Pennsylvania

Confronting Ethical and Moral Dilemmas: Don’t Go It Alone

September 13, 2021 • 8 min read.

In this Nano Tool for Leaders, Wharton’s G. Richard Shell explains how “the power of two” can help when you are faced with a moral or ethical dilemma at work.

Nano Tools for Leaders® — a collaboration between Wharton Executive Education and Wharton’s Center for Leadership and Change Management — are fast, effective leadership tools that you can learn and start using in less than 15 minutes, with the potential to significantly impact your success as a leader and the engagement and productivity of the people you lead.

Contributor: G. Richard Shell, Wharton professor of legal studies and business ethics and author of The Conscience Code: Lead with Your Values. Advance Your Career .

Strengthen your ability to confront ethically questionable acts or wrongdoings by bringing in allies.

According to a 2021 report from the Ethics and Compliance Initiative, 63% of middle managers were pressured by bosses to violate their firm’s ethical code of conduct in 2020. Over half of middle and upper managers observed ethical misconduct, while 79% of employees experienced retaliation for reporting it. Well-run corporate compliance programs and healthy corporate cultures can reduce this problem significantly, but these are hard to sustain across large enterprises over long periods of time. And too many companies give only lip service to both.

When you are faced with a moral or ethical dilemma at work, it’s common to believe that your choices are limited to three less-than-optimal options: remain silent, single-handedly confront the perpetrator(s), or report him or her (and perhaps the whole team) to a higher authority. For those who are conflict averse — and those who don’t feel options two and three are viable for other reasons — the first option is the most appealing. But there is another way.

In fact, believing you have to handle this situation alone, no matter which option you choose, violates the Conscience Code — a set of 10 rules developed to help you lead with your values while advancing your career. Specifically, Rule #6 explains the importance of leveraging the Power of Two: an ally can bolster your confidence, help you think more clearly about next steps, and keep you grounded when people try to make it look as if you are the problem. In fact, when it comes to resisting pressure from peers and authority to “just go along with it” or “look the other way,” 1 + 1 equals much more than 2. Psychologists report that the best workplace allies are those who help you better understand the situation you are in and then provide the confidence boost you need to manage it. For ideas about when and how to leverage alliances, see the Action Steps below.

Action Steps

When you face wrongdoing at work, instead of choosing one of the less-than-optimal options described above, consider testing out your viewpoint in private with one other person, perhaps a quieter one who might be open to hearing your perspective and creating an alliance. If that is too risky, consider reaching out to the person who recruited you, a mentor, or a colleague who had been at the firm longer than you. If you are a woman or minority, research shows that you may find strength by conferring with one another in the face of situations involving sexism or racism.

Here are three ideas for leveraging the Power of Two:

Deal with peer pressure. Another voice speaking truth will help you feel less isolated in your position and more confident in asserting your point of view. Professor Solomon Asch’s work on peer pressure showed that when everyone in a group says that “X is true,” the final holdout will go along with them more often than you might expect — even when they know that X is not true. This finding highlights the power of social contagion: A strong group can make dissenters too embarrassed to go against the crowd, or even make them actually believe something they knew previously to be false. In a follow-up experiment, Asch gave his subjects an ally or “true partner” — one voice in the room that spoke the correct rather than the incorrect answer. This caused subjects’ willingness to tell the truth to jump from 65% to 95%.
Stand up to authority. Stanley Milgram’s infamous power-of-authority studies investigated why ordinary German people had gone along with the Holocaust in World War II. His experiments demonstrated that ordinary citizens could be pressured into delivering what appeared to be lethal levels of electric shocks to human “victims.” In one version of the experiment, Milgram created teams of three to deliver the shocks, with each team including two “dissenters” who were instructed to quit after a specified number of low-level shocks were “delivered.” With the two dissenters breaking off during the process, 90% terminated the experiment prior to the lethal shock level — with 25 of them quitting at a level less than half that. The takeaway? Having allies at your side can empower you to act on your values more quickly and decisively than relying on your inner resources alone. And having supportive peers may be especially important for those with more accommodating and conflict-averse personalities.
Gain a fresh perspective. Professor Philip Zimbardo’s troubled Stanford Prison Experiment, in which he placed randomly selected undergraduate students in roles of “guards” and “prisoners,” attempted to prove that social roles and systemic pressures can distort the behavior of otherwise normal people. Although the guards’ behavior became troubling very quickly, it took an outsider to bring an end to the out-of-control proceedings. PhD student Christina Maslach was so disturbed by what she saw that she persuaded Zimbardo to end his experiment immediately on ethical grounds, applying both common-sense morality and the norms of social science. Research on ethical conflicts revealed numerous instances of ordinary people swept up in wrongdoing by peers and bosses — but who were saved by a perceptive spouse or friend who could see more clearly than they what was happening. The Power of Two thus extends to people completely outside your workplace “bubble” — people who can point out how far you have strayed from your ethical commitments and bring you back to your senses before it is too late.

How Leaders Use It

By now, the story of charismatic 19-year-old Stanford undergraduate Elizabeth Holmes and her idea for a new approach to blood testing is well known. What’s often missing from tales of the Theranos scandal are Tyler Shultz and Erika Cheung, two twentysomething employees who were faced with immense pressure from their superiors and peers to go along with what was clearly a massive fraud. Their story demonstrates the power of an ally when you encounter real-world conflicts.

New hires Shultz and Cheung worked together on a team that was testing the accuracy of the Edison — Holmes’s blood testing machine. When they noticed that data showing results that deviated too far from expected performance never made it into reports, they were told that it was standard practice to ignore these “outliers.” They also became concerned that the firm was misreporting a variety of metrics on the Edison’s accuracy for different types of blood tests, and that, compared with accurate results from traditional machines, the Edison failed. When Shultz and Cheung pushed back, they were admonished for not being “team players.” Finally, after their superiors knowingly submitted false data to regulators, Shultz turned in an anonymous complaint to investigators and sent an email to Holmes with details of his concerns (many of which came from Cheung). Berated once again, the two decided to quit. Cheung filed a formal complaint with the federal Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services about the misconduct she had observed. The complaint triggered a formal investigation, which, in combination with a series of front-page investigative stories in the Wall Street Journal (sourced in part by Shultz and Cheung) and Shultz’s anonymous filing with regulators, brought an end to Theranos. Shultz and Cheung leveraged the Power of Two, feeding off each other’s energies; advancing each other’s strategic thinking; and providing independent, credible information from the inner workings of a corrupt organization that could be used as evidence by the legal system.

Knowledge in Action: Related Executive Education Programs

Richard Shell teaches in Negotiation and Influence: Making Deals and Strategy Work , Advanced Management Program , and Executive Development Program .

Additional Resources

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Ethical Dilemma Essay

TOOLS FOR WRITING – THE ETHICAL DILEMMA ESSAY

Table of contents, defining an ethical dilemma, ethical dilemma essay topics, how to write an ethical dilemma essay, ethical dilemma essay examples.

We all have a sense of ethics – moral principles that are a part of who we are . Some people are fully opposed to the death penalty; others are opposed to abortion; some support mercy killing, or the “right to die.” But what happens when our moral principles are put to the test through an ethical dilemma?

Basically, an ethical dilemma is facing a decision that, in making that decision, violates a moral principle in order to follow another one . Either decision will mean violating one of your moral principles.

An ethical dilemma is facing a decision that, in making that decision, violates a moral principle in order to follow another one

A simple and often used example of a moral dilemma is this: You are on a ship that is sinking, and you must get into a lifeboat. That lifeboat can only hold 10 people without sinking, and there are 11 of you that need to get into it. Your moral principle is the preservation of life at all costs. How do you determine who does not get into that lifeboat? Or do you put all 11 in the lifeboat which will kill all of you? Any decision you make will compromise your principle of preserving life at all costs.

If you are assigned an ethical dilemma essay, chances are you are given a question or a prompt for that essay, but if not you can always search for a write my paper help on our web-site

Sample Ethical Dilemma Essay

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Writer144311 has a background in marketing, technology, and business intelligence. S/he enjoys writing about data science, BI, new marketing trends and branding strategies. On TrustMyPaper s/he shares her practical experience through academic writing.

Have you ever faced an ethical dilemma? Write a personal ethical dilemma essay about one such dilemma and how you handled it. It will be in the first person and will not have to follow the formal writing rules of academic writing .

Here are several potential topics of an ethical dilemma essay. You will note that most provide scenarios in which a person will have to make a decision.

Best ethical dilemma essay topics:

You are a nurse who is committed to providing the best possible care according to the protocols that have been established. You have a patient who is dying. He is in extreme pain. You are charged with administering pain medication on a set schedule, but the patient remains in extreme pain and is asking for more pain medication on a shorter schedule. Do you follow your moral principle of relieving pain or the protocols that have been established?
You are the spouse of a woman who has gone into labor. There are complications. The doctor has informed you that you must make a decision to save the life or your wife or your as yet unborn child. What is your decision-making process, and how does either decision compromise your moral principles of the sanctity of life? Do you abort the child and condemn it to death or do you preserve the life of your wife?
You have witnessed your best friend cheating on an exam. Do you let loyalty to your friend prevail and not report this, or do you abide by your sense of what is right and report the incident to your instructor?
You are an animal rights advocate, believing that all life is sacred. A biological research company is conducting research using animals as subjects. The goal of this research is to eliminate a horrible disease that is afflicting many people all over the world., but animals will suffer even die, in the process. Can you reconcile your advocacy of animal rights with the greater good of saving human lives?

While your essay will follow the standard format – introduction, body, and conclusion – it may be of different types. You may be writing a narrative of personal experience; you may be writing a more academic piece on an ethical dilemma in a conceptual way; you may be writing an argumentative piece on a specific ethical dilemma. And some of these types of essays may require some research.

Once you have completed your mind map, and consolidated the items into specific points that you want to make, you are ready to craft at least a rough outline of the body paragraphs you will compose.

Develop your thesis statement based upon your points. What is it that you are trying to “prove” to your audience? What do you want your reader to take away from this essay? Your answer to these questions will help you to form your thesis statement.

Write your body paragraphs first. These must be well-formed, with topic sentences and lots of detail to support them.

One the body paragraphs are constructed, you are ready to craft your introduction – a part of your essay that will introduce the topic and provide your thesis for the essay. Work to create a “hook” for your reader – something that will pique their interest and motivate them to read on. This might be a startling statistic, a quote from a famous person, or a short anecdote to which they can relate.

Carefully think about your conclusion. You will want to re-state your thesis , of course, but you also may need to encourage those who are dealing with moral dilemmas , as they struggle with their own.

There are plenty of ethical dilemma essay examples out there on the web. And they will give you great ideas about structure and format. But understand this: your essay must be uniquely yours. You must insert your own style, your own ideas, your own style into your essay, or it won’t be compelling or engaging to your reader. Take the ideas; take the points. But make the essay yours alone.

External links

How to Mind Map with Tony Buzan. (2015). [YouTube Video]. In YouTube . https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=u5Y4pIsXTV0

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7 Ways to Improve Your Ethical Decision-Making

A diverse team of five business professionals having a discussion

03 Aug 2023

Effective decision-making is the cornerstone of any thriving business. According to a survey of 760 companies cited in the Harvard Business Review , decision effectiveness and financial results correlated at a 95 percent confidence level across countries, industries, and organization sizes.

Yet, making ethical decisions can be difficult in the workplace and often requires dealing with ambiguous situations.

If you want to become a more effective leader , here’s an overview of why ethical decision-making is important in business and how to be better at it.

Access your free e-book today.

The Importance of Ethical Decision-Making

Any management position involves decision-making .

“Even with formal systems in place, managers have a great deal of discretion in making decisions that affect employees,” says Harvard Business School Professor Nien-hê Hsieh in the online course Leadership, Ethics, and Corporate Accountability . “This is because many of the activities companies need to carry out are too complex to specify in advance.”

This is where ethical decision-making comes in. As a leader, your decisions influence your company’s culture, employees’ motivation and productivity, and business processes’ effectiveness.

It also impacts your organization’s reputation—in terms of how customers, partners, investors, and prospective employees perceive it—and long-term success.

With such a large portion of your company’s performance relying on your guidance, here are seven ways to improve your ethical decision-making.

1. Gain Clarity Around Personal Commitments

You may be familiar with the saying, “Know thyself.” The first step to including ethics in your decision-making process is defining your personal commitments.

To gain clarity around those, Hsieh recommends asking:

What’s core to my identity? How do I perceive myself?
What lines or boundaries will I not cross?
What kind of life do I want to live?
What type of leader do I want to be?

Once you better understand your core beliefs, values, and ideals, it’s easier to commit to ethical guidelines in the workplace. If you get stuck when making challenging decisions, revisit those questions for guidance.

2. Overcome Biases

A bias is a systematic, often unconscious inclination toward a belief, opinion, perspective, or decision. It influences how you perceive and interpret information, make judgments, and behave.

Bias is often based on:

Personal experience
Cultural background
Social conditioning
Individual preference

It exists in the workplace as well.

“Most of the time, people try to act fairly, but personal beliefs or attitudes—both conscious and subconscious—affect our ability to do so,” Hsieh says in Leadership, Ethics, and Corporate Accountability .

There are two types of bias:

Explicit: A bias you’re aware of, such as ageism.
Implicit: A bias that operates outside your awareness, such as cultural conditioning.

Whether explicit or implicit, you must overcome bias to make ethical, fair decisions.

Related: How to Overcome Stereotypes in Your Organization

3. Reflect on Past Decisions

The next step is reflecting on previous decisions.

“By understanding different kinds of bias and how they can show themselves in the workplace, we can reflect on past decisions, experiences, and emotions to help identify problem areas,” Hsieh says in the course.

Reflect on your decisions’ processes and the outcomes. Were they favorable? What would you do differently? Did bias affect them?

Through analyzing prior experiences, you can learn lessons that help guide your ethical decision-making.

4. Be Compassionate

Decisions requiring an ethical lens are often difficult, such as terminating an employee.

“Termination decisions are some of the hardest that managers will ever have to make,” Hsieh says in Leadership, Ethics, and Corporate Accountability . “These decisions affect real people with whom we often work every day and who are likely to depend on their job for their livelihood.”

Such decisions require a compassionate approach. Try imagining yourself in the other person’s shoes, and think about what you would want to hear. Doing so allows you to approach decision-making with more empathy.

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5. Focus on Fairness

Being “fair” in the workplace is often ambiguous, but it’s vital to ethical decision-making.

“Fairness is not only an ethical response to power asymmetries in the work environment,” Hsieh says in Leadership, Ethics, and Corporate Accountability . “Fairness–and having a successful organizational culture–can benefit the organization economically and legally as well.”

It’s particularly important to consider fairness in the context of your employees. According to Leadership, Ethics, and Corporate Accountability , operationalizing fairness in employment relationships requires:

Legitimate expectations: Expectations stemming from a promise or regular practice that employees can anticipate and rely on.
Procedural fairness: Concern with whether decisions are made and carried out impartially, consistently, and transparently.
Distributive fairness: The fair allocation of opportunities, benefits, and burdens based on employees’ efforts or contributions.

Keeping these aspects of fairness in mind can be the difference between a harmonious team and an employment lawsuit. When in doubt, ask yourself: “If I or someone I loved was at the receiving end of this decision, what would I consider ‘fair’?”

6. Take an Individualized Approach

Not every employee is the same. Your relationships with team members, managers, and organizational leaders differ based on factors like context and personality types.

“Given the personal nature of employment relationships, your judgment and actions in these areas will often require adjustment according to each specific situation,” Hsieh explains in Leadership, Ethics, and Corporate Accountability .

One way to achieve this is by tailoring your decision-making based on employees’ values and beliefs. For example, if a colleague expresses concerns about a project’s environmental impact, explore eco-friendly approaches that align with their values.

Another way you can customize your ethical decision-making is by accommodating employees’ cultural differences. Doing so can foster a more inclusive work environment and boost your team’s performance .

7. Accept Feedback

Ethical decision-making is susceptible to gray areas and often met with dissent, so it’s critical to be approachable and open to feedback .

The benefits of receiving feedback include:

Learning from mistakes.
Having more opportunities to exhibit compassion, fairness, and transparency.
Identifying blind spots you weren’t aware of.
Bringing your team into the decision-making process.

While such conversations can be uncomfortable, don’t avoid them. Accepting feedback will not only make you a more effective leader but also help your employees gain a voice in the workplace.

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Ethical Decision-Making Is a Continuous Learning Process

Ethical decision-making doesn’t come with right or wrong answers—it’s a continuous learning process.

“There often is no right answer, only imperfect solutions to difficult problems,” Hsieh says. “But even without a single ‘right’ answer, making thoughtful, ethical decisions can make a major difference in the lives of your employees and colleagues.”

By taking an online course, such as Leadership, Ethics, and Corporate Accountability , you can develop the frameworks and tools to make effective decisions that benefit all aspects of your business.

Ready to improve your ethical decision-making? Enroll in Leadership, Ethics, and Corporate Accountability —one of our online leadership and management courses —and download our free e-book on how to become a more effective leader.

About the Author

15 Ethical Dilemma Examples You See in the Real-World

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In your everyday life, and especially at work, have you faced ethical dilemmas that challenge your personal morals? If so, considering common ethical dilemma examples can go a long way to resolving your own.

You'll learn you must analyze the risks, rely on your convictions, and trust your instincts. Stepping back and removing yourself from the situation can help you gain a perspective that will aid in making your best decisions.

It's also important to be sure you act after thinking the situation through and not before. To help with this, take a look at our article, “7 Ways to Live Consciously in an Unconscious World.”

Drawing on the experience of others may empower you to navigate your struggle and arrive at the best decision.

This process exercises your critical thinking skills and the decisions you make can help you become respected as a person and a professional. Therefore, looking at ways that others have navigated those difficult moral decisions may be an excellent way to help you should you ever face similar circumstances.

In this article, you’ll learn about specific ethical dilemma examples that will help you understand the difficulty of making decisions that go against moral principles… which may make it less troublesome to make a decision when facing your next ethical dilemma.

Table of Contents

What Are Ethical Dilemmas?

Ethical dilemmas are all about difficulty in choosing between two courses of action, in which either choice involves disobeying a moral principle.

For instance, if you’re facing an ethical dilemma, it can affect you emotionally as you may struggle between what you consider to be right against what you consider to be necessary for a certain situation.

An ethical dilemma occurs when your moral principles are challenged. Some instances of the moral tenets are honesty, abstaining from and not promoting violence, caring for others, respecting the privacy of others, aiding people in trouble, and not harming others, whether humans or animals.

You may have heard of ethical dilemma examples called moral dilemmas or ethical paradoxes. In some instances, any choice you make is wrong in some sense.

In each ethical dilemma, the options are at odds with each other; they conflict with each other, causing a contradiction or paradox.

There are situations where you might have two choices; if you choose one, it would be impossible to choose the other.

Real-World Ethical Dilemma Examples

Often, the best way to mitigate ethical dilemmas is to learn about and seek understanding with real-world examples. Here are 15 examples of real-world ethical dilemmas we trust you’ll find useful.

1. Monitoring Teens on Social Media.

Should a teenager using Snapchat, Instagram, or TikTok have their social media use monitored? This is an ethical dilemma many parents of teens face as teenagers spend many hours engaging in online activities daily. For some parents, the question may be: Do I trust my child to use social media responsibly or not?

For others, they may be asking themselves: From a safety standpoint as a parent, should I monitor my teenager’s online activities, or are they old enough to use social media responsibly?

Whichever ethical dilemma they are facing, a parent’s fear of cyberbullying and safety for their children is not unfounded. According to 2018 Pew Research , 21% of 13-15-year-olds, 16% of 16-17-year-olds, and 12% of 18-20-year-olds experienced cyberbullying.

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While anyone utilizing the Internet risks cyberbullying, teens are ill-equipped to deal with such treatment as their brains are not yet fully developed. Therefore, it is a parent’s duty to protect their child from online attacks.

However, since the close monitoring of a teenager’s activities, online or otherwise, may be construed as a lack of trust toward the teen, it can potentially damage or at least put a strain on the parent-child relationship. Therein lies the ethical dilemma and the choices each parent must make.

One father of two teenaged girls chose to monitor their activities, sharing that, above all, “The devices belong to me and my wife, and we are entitled to see anything and everything on them.”

A good way to build trust with your teens may be to spend time playing games or asking “would you rather” questions ; trust will help them know that whether you monitor their online activity, you care.

2. Ghosting.

This is when you end a relationship by not responding to the other person at all, by just ignoring them, rather than telling them you would like to end the relationship. While ghosting someone is not the nicest of ways to end a relationship, is it morally wrong?

If you believe in kindness, you may struggle as to whether you can live with your decision to ghost someone. Ghosting seems like the easy way out for the one ghosting, but it's hard for the one being ghosted to find closure and move on.

Someone may choose to ghost their soon-to-be ex because they want to avoid conflict. Or maybe they are afraid the other person might lash out and become violent. For whatever reason, facing that person is uncomfortable that they consider ghosting.

If you consider ghosting someone, think about how that could make them feel. Is that really who you are? Getting a fresh and honest perspective may make you think differently if you're considering ghosting someone.

If you've been ghosted, you find some benefit in reading our “ 55 Survival Quotes to Make You Tough in 2023 .”

3. Intentionally Misinterpreting Data.

There are several instances you may find yourself in where you’re tempted to fudge the numbers. Maybe you’re in the corporate world and are tempted or encouraged to share the data in such a way that will cause stockholders to believe their investments are more secure than they are.

Your ethical dilemma may be whether you misinterpret the data and secure your career or share the true numbers and risk losing your job.

An ethical dilemma example of misinterpreting or outright lying about data is the FTX scandal where investors lost billions of dollars on the digital currency platform after being misled by founder Sam Bankman-Fried.

4. Selling a Car Without Disclosing All Known Negative Details.

Let's say you're selling your car to upgrade to a newer model. Nothing much is wrong with it, so you fail to disclose the fact that it has trouble starting from time to time; or, that it was involved in an accident.

Should you disclose whatever is wrong with it to potential buyers or do you consider purchasing a used car to be a ‘buyer beware' situation? Uphold your moral standards and make sure you aren’t the subject of someone’s used car sales gone bad story.

5. Cheat on Your Significant Other.

Your relationship has gone south but you're still considered a couple. You meet someone that, well, if you weren't married… But you are; and you stood before an entire congregation of people promising fidelity “til death do us part'.

A few years have passed and you just don't have the same romantic feelings anymore. Whether he's changed or you've changed or you've both changed, you can't quite put your finger on it. Now, you feel like you'd rather get out than stay in.

Since the relationship is rocky, can you justify starting a new relationship? Or, should you stay faithful and risk letting the potential new love of your life get away? Sometimes a person will cheat on their significant other as an act of revenge when they are mad at each other. And sometimes, the decision to cheat ends badly.

If you've made the decision not to cheat, try solidifying your relationship with our advice on relationships.

6. Should You Lie to a Sick Loved One?

Usually, if someone considers lying, whether they do it or not, it goes against their belief system and in their heart they know that it's wrong. However, whenever the truth would hurt someone you love, it often presents a gray area or a moral dilemma.

There have been instances where family members have either lied or withheld the truth in order to spare the feelings of a sick loved one, particularly in cases of Alzheimer's patients.

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If an Alzheimer's patient asks about a loved one, and that loved one is deceased, finding out about their death all over again can cause them pain. Because of that, some family members will lie to spare their loved one's feelings. Is it ever compassionate to withhold information from your loved one with Alzheimer's?

This may be a dilemma you should discuss with your family members to help make your own personal decision. However, make sure you follow your own moral compass rather than doing what others wish you to do .

7. To Share or Not to Share Political Leanings.

Have you noticed how passionate people are about politics? If you choose to share your political leanings online or in person, you would lose followers, friends, and/or family members.

Some people weigh the options and decide it's not worth it to speak what's on your mind and lose the close contact of others.

Some say it's best to be real, to be authentic, and share any and all beliefs, loud and proud. Before choosing either option, weigh your options. Which choice can you live with? Which one could you not live with?

No matter what you decide, take time to consider the consequences of each choice before firmly making your decision. Then, be prepared to live with those consequences.

8. Whether to Report an Accident.

If you're in a rush and you pass by and an accident, would you report it? Or would you not, knowing that the next person that passes by most likely would call the authorities?

The moral dilemma would be: risk getting to your meeting late, especially if you have to give an account of what happened to the police; or risk feeling guilty because you chose not to stop and help in a situation and caused the authorities to arrive sooner rather than later or even too late.

If you're struggling about whether you should report an accident as a witness, put yourself in the shoes of those affected by the accident to discover what you should do and how you can help.

9. To Share or Not to Share Religious Beliefs.

It's been said to never discuss politics or religion. Yet there comes a time in close relationships where the question of whether to share what your beliefs are may come to mind, bringing you face to face with a moral dilemma.

If you know the person you'll be sharing with has beliefs that are different from yours, you may wonder if sharing your beliefs will push them away.

Withholding the information as you grow closer in a relationship may cause several problems: the other person in the relationship may feel you haven't been as open and honest as you should have been, or you may feel conflicted as you want to share but are hesitant to do so.

However, if you feel a kinship with a person on a spiritual level , you may consider sharing your religious views.

If the question of whether you should share your religious views at work arises, you may want to ask yourself why you would consider sharing.

While there are employment laws against discrimination of religion, you need to be careful not to proselytize, which is to try to convert someone, and would be frowned upon in the workplace.

10. Should You Lie to Your Boss?

Being less than truthful with your boss can have repercussions, depending on the lie. The moral dilemma you may face may be whether you should lie about your experience and education, which could easily be verified. If the lie is less impactful, as in, you call in sick but aren't, you are less likely to get caught in the lie.

In employing your critical thinking skills you may find that you agree its fine to lie to your boss in certain situations. However, does lying to your boss on any level go against your personal moral beliefs? If so, that will create your moral dilemma.

11. Recalling a Faulty Product.

Let's say you own a business, and it has come to your attention that the product you've shipped and sold has a faulty part.

What would you do? If the part's faultiness would cause harm to someone using the product, that's a serious consideration. If, however, the faultiness may not be noticed and would not cause harm, that may cause you to consider not recalling the product.

The moral dilemma is presented as you determine how you feel about not making the product right and looking out for the best interests of your customers. There is also the legal side of recalling a product.

12. Taking Credit for Your Coworker’s Work.

You've collaborated on a project at work. Your team members have given valuable input that has drawn attention from your management team. You know this recognition could move you closer to a promotion.

Although one of your teammates had the most eye-catching input, should you claim credit for it? After all, it was a team effort, and you'd really like that promotion.

The moral dilemma is doing what's right by giving your teammates the credit they deserve, which would preserve your working relationship or risk your working relationship by claiming the credit for yourself.

To help you make your decision ask yourself whether taking credit for someone else's work is ethical. It would be more beneficial to pursue your own path to promotion without detracting from someone else.

13. Aborting a Child with Down Syndrome.

When you're expecting a baby, it's generally a joyous occasion. If you find out your baby will be living with life-changing challenges, such as Down syndrome, you may find you're facing a moral dilemma.

According to the Centers for Disease Control (CDC), the life expectancy of babies with Down syndrome increased from 10-years-old in 1960 to 47-years-old in 2007.

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While there are additional challenges associated with a child with Down syndrome, the dilemma basically comes down to the question: how does an abortion fit into your moral beliefs?

You may want to read this article showcasing three families struggling with the moral dilemma of aborting a Down syndrome child.

14. Should You Tell Your Friend if Her Husband is Cheating?

It's a heavy burden to carry and keep a secret from a friend, especially if you feel that she will be hurt by finding out the truth. You may also be worried about how the information you're intending to share will be received.

If not received well, you could lose a friend. At best, it would likely be an emotional conversation.

Or your moral dilemma might be: should you speak to your friend about the situation or speak to her husband or just do nothing?

No matter what your choice is according to your moral beliefs, I think you can agree this is a sticky situation. If you do decide to tell your friend, do it with finesse.

15. Is It Okay to Take Supplies from Your Office?

Many people work in office settings and for their job functions to be fulfilled, their companies supply tools they need. These tools may be something as simple as paper clips to pens, notebooks, office chairs, and computers.

The moral dilemma becomes when you question whether you should take some of these office supplies home for your own personal use.

According to your belief system, would that be stealing from the company or would it be acceptable? Would it matter if the item you'd like to take is a small item or do you believe, right or wrong, any item would carry the same weight in your decision?

Final Thoughts on Real-World Ethical Dilemmas

While ethical dilemma examples may go from two difficult choices, to almost impossible choices, I'm sure you and I can agree that it helps to arm yourself with the knowledge of how others have faced similar situations.

In reading through the ethical dilemma examples we've provided, you may have found a pathway to your own answers.

When making your choices, it's in your best interest to keep honesty, integrity, and morality paramount. The ability to weigh each choice and try to objectively choose for the greater good is beneficial.

Your critical thinking skills will come into play and possibly be challenged when making difficult choices. As you can see from the examples we've provided in this article, some moral dilemmas are quite difficult and the answers are not always clear-cut choices.

The bottom line is that the examples detailed in this article may help you in making decisions as they arise in your own life, especially when you find them challenging.

A good starting point is to get yourself in the right mindset , consider all the facts, then figure out whether you have the control to make the decision needed before moving forward. Having done that, once you've made your choice, you'll have the satisfaction that you've chosen wisely.

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Focus on Ethics: Ethical Issues—Responsibilities and Dilemmas

As we have written in NAEYC books about professional ethics, when faced with a challenging situation in the workplace, the first thing an early childhood educator needs to do is to determine whether it is an ethical issue. Our experience tells us that this can be a difficult process, one that many are unsure about. The first question you should ask yourself is, “Does it concern right and wrong, rights and responsibilities, human welfare, or individuals’ best interests?” If you answer no to each of these items, the situation is not an ethical issue and you can handle it as you would handle any workplace concern. If you answer yes to any of the items, you are facing an ethical issue. How you respond to it depends on whether it is an ethical responsibility or an ethical dilemma.

An ethical issue: Is it an ethical responsibility or an ethical dilemma?

Over the years that we have been conducting workshops and teaching courses about professional ethics, we have found that early childhood educators do not always know the difference between an ethical responsibility and an ethical dilemma, nor are they sure about how each should be approached. To make this distinction clearer, we decided to use this March 2016 column to look at these two kinds of ethical issues.

Ethical responsibilities

Ethical responsibilities are mandates that are clearly spelled out in the NAEYC Code of Ethical Conduct —they describe how early childhood educators are required to act and what they must do

and must not do. The fact is, however, that instead of honoring these responsibilities, even well-meaning and conscientious early childhood educators are sometimes tempted to do what is easiest or what will please others. It is important to remember that when you encounter a situation that involves an ethical responsibility, you must follow the Code’s clear direction. The most important of the responsibilities spelled out in the NAEYC Code is Principle 1.1:

P-1.1—Above all, we shall not harm children. We shall not participate in practices that are emotionally damaging, physically harmful, disrespectful, degrading, dangerous, exploitative, or intimidating to children. This principle has precedence over all others in this Code.

You can be confident that when you have done the right thing, the Code is there to back you up. You can rely on it to help you explain why you made a difficult or unpopular decision.

It can be helpful to think of ethical responsibilities as being very similar to legal responsibilities in that they require or forbid a particular action. And sometimes legal and ethical responsibilities are the same—for example, mandating the reporting of child abuse.

Ethical dilemmas

When you determine that a situation involves ethics and you don’t think it is a responsibility, it is likely to be an ethical dilemma. A dilemma is a situation for which there are two possible resolutions, each of which can be justified in moral terms. A dilemma requires a person to choose between two actions, each having some benefits but also having some costs. In a dilemma the legitimate needs and interests of one individual or group must give way to those of another individual or group—hence the commonly used expression "on the horns of a dilemma," describing the two-pronged nature of these situations. The example of an ethical dilemma we often give is the case of the mother who asks a teacher not to let her child nap at school because when he sleeps in the afternoon he has a hard time falling asleep at night. The teacher must choose between honoring the mother's request, which may have a detrimental effect on the child, or refusing the request, which will have a negative impact on the mother.

Ethical dilemmas are sometimes described as situation that involve two "rights." In the case of the nap, the early childhood educator can conclude that it is morally right to allow a child who needs a nap to nap. But it is also right to keep the child from napping to help a busy mother keep the child on schedule.

When you encounter an ethical issue, it may be helpful to remember that it is either a responsibility or a dilemma—its cannot be both. A characteristic of an ethical dilemma is that it involves deliberation. It can rarely be resolved quickly or by simply applying rules and relying on facts. You won't find easy solutions in any article or book for the dilemmas you face in your early childhood workplace. You can, however, learn to work through these difficult deliberations with guidance from the NAEYC Code. When you are certain that you have encountered an ethical dilemma, you can use the process described in the example that follows to help you find a justifiable resolution.

A discussion of the difference between an ethical responsibility and an ethical dilemma, and the process of ethical analysis, is described in detail in Chapter 3 (pages 27-36) of Ethics and the Early Childhood Educator , second edition. The book also provides examples of how the Code can be applied to a number of dilemmas that recur frequently in early childhood programs.

A New Ethical Issue—“Make sure my child drinks her milk”

Jane, a petite just-turned-3-year-old, is new in Kristen’s class. Jane’s father brings her to school each day at breakfast time.

As required by licensing and the USDA food program, the school serves milk at breakfast and lunch. Like a number of children in the class, Jane refuses milk and drinks water instead. Kristen allows children to make this choice. One day Jane’s father tells Kristen that he and his wife do not want her to allow Jane to drink water until she has drunk at least a full cup of milk. Kristen assures them that she will encourage Jane to drink her milk.

At the next meal, Kristen tells Jane that her family wants her to drink milk so she’ll be healthy and grow strong. Jane sobs uncontrollably. Kristen comforts her and allows her to drink water. She tells Jane she will talk to Jane’s father about letting her drink water. Jane’s eyes grow wide, and she sobs even harder, saying, “Don’t tell Daddy! Don’t tell Daddy!”

Should Kristen honor the wishes of the family or allow Jane to continue to drink water instead of milk? How could she use the NAEYC Code to guide her thinking and decision making in this situation?

The dilemma

This issue’s Focus on Ethics column asks you to consider the story of 3-year-old Jane, whose family does not want her to drink water in school until she has finished drinking her milk. This ethical issue, like others we have presented in previous columns, involves a conflict between requests made by a family member and what teachers think is good practice.

You might use this case as the basis for a staff meeting or an assignment for undergraduate or graduate students, or you might mull it over on your own or with a friend or colleague. We recommend that you use the process we describe in Chapter 3 of Ethics and the Early Childhood Educator to help you reach a well-reasoned response that systematically applies the Code:

1. Determine the nature of the problem

If it is an ethical issue, does it involve ethical responsibilities or is it an ethical dilemma? (If it is an ethical responsibility, what does the Code mandate that Kristen do? If it is an ethical dilemma, Kristen can seek a resolution using the steps that follow.)

2. Analyze the dilemma

Identify the conflicting responsibilities.
Brainstorm possible resolutions.
Consider ethical finesse finding a way to meet everyone’s needs without having to make a difficult decision.
Look for guidance in the NAEYC Code. Carefully review its Ideals and Principles—particularly those that apply to responsibilities to children and families.
Based on your review of the Code and using your best professional judgment, describe what you think is the most ethically defensible course of action in this situation.

When you have finished deliberating on this case and have decided on the best course of action for Kristen, send an email to the coeditors that includes your recommendation and a brief description of how you used the Code to reach this decision.

Information about ethical responsibilities and dilemmas is adapted from two NAEYC books, Ethics and the Early Childhood Educator: Using the NAEYC Code , second edition, and the newly updated Teaching the NAEYC Code of Ethical Conduct: A Resource Guide (forthcoming in spring 2016).

Photograph: Getty Images

Stephanie Feeney, PhD, is professor emerita of education at the University of Hawaii at Manoa. She is coauthor of NAEYC’s “Code of Ethical Conduct” and NAEYC’s books about professional ethics. She participated in the development of supplements to the code for adult educators and program administrators and has written extensively about ethics in early care and education. She is the author of numerous articles and books, including Professionalism in Early Childhood Education: Doing Our best for Young Children and coauthor of Who Am I in the Lives of Children ? [email protected]

Nancy K. Freeman, PhD, is professor emerita of education at the University of South Carolina in Columbia, where she was a member of the early childhood faculty. She has served as president of NAECTE and was a member of its board for many years. Nancy has written extensively on professional ethics since the 1990s, and has been involved in the Code’s revisions and in the development of its Supplements for Program Administrators and Adult Educators. [email protected]

Vol. 71, No. 1

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Philosophy and Psychology

Moral Dilemmas: What Are They and How Can They Be Solved?

Ethical Issues

Ai generator.

Ethical issues are a complex and multifaceted area of study that explores the principles guiding human behavior and decision-making. These moral issues often arise in various contexts, including personal, professional, and societal domains. Ethical communication plays a crucial role in navigating these dilemmas, ensuring that interactions are honest, respectful, and transparent. Writing an essay on ethics involves examining different perspectives and frameworks to understand and resolve these challenges effectively.

What are Ethical Issues?

Ethical issues are dilemmas or situations that involve questions of right and wrong, requiring individuals to choose between conflicting moral principles. They often arise in various contexts, challenging people to make decisions based on ethical standards and values.

Examples of Ethical Issues

Confidentiality : Respecting the privacy of personal information.
Conflict of Interest : Managing personal interests that conflict with professional responsibilities.
Informed Consent : Ensuring individuals understand and agree to the terms before participation.
Whistleblowing : Reporting unethical behavior within an organization.
Data Privacy : Protecting personal data from unauthorized access.
Intellectual Property : Respecting the ownership rights of creators.
Fair Treatment : Ensuring equal and just treatment of all individuals.
Corporate Social Responsibility : Businesses addressing social and environmental concerns.
Environmental Sustainability : Making decisions that protect the environment.
Animal Rights : Treating animals ethically and humanely.
Workplace Discrimination : Preventing unfair treatment based on race, gender, or other characteristics.
Harassment : Addressing and preventing inappropriate behavior.
Corruption : Combating bribery and unethical practices.
Transparency : Being open and honest in communication.
Cultural Sensitivity : Respecting diverse cultural backgrounds.

Examples of Ethical issues in Business

Bribery and Corruption : Offering or accepting gifts, money, or favors to influence business decisions.
False Advertising : Misleading consumers with incorrect or exaggerated claims about a product or service.
Discrimination : Unfair treatment of employees or customers based on race, gender, age, religion, or other personal characteristics.
Privacy Violations : Mishandling or failing to protect customer or employee personal information.
Insider Trading : Using confidential company information for personal gain in the stock market.
Exploitation of Labor : Unfair wages, unsafe working conditions, or unreasonable working hours, particularly in developing countries.
Environmental Harm : Engaging in practices that damage the environment, such as pollution or resource depletion, without taking steps to mitigate the impact.
Intellectual Property Theft : Using patented or copyrighted materials without permission or proper compensation.
Financial Misconduct : Falsifying financial statements or engaging in accounting fraud to mislead stakeholders.
Customer Data Misuse : Selling or using customer data without their consent for purposes other than those originally intended.

Ethical Issues Examples in Society

Privacy Invasion : Unauthorized surveillance or data collection by governments or corporations.
Income Inequality : Disparities in income and wealth distribution leading to social and economic inequities.
Healthcare Access : Inequitable access to medical care and resources based on socioeconomic status.
Discrimination : Unfair treatment of individuals based on race, gender, age, religion, or sexual orientation.
Environmental Degradation : Practices contributing to pollution, climate change, and loss of biodiversity.
Human Trafficking : Exploiting individuals through forced labor, prostitution, or other forms of modern slavery.
Police Brutality : Excessive use of force by law enforcement officers, often targeting marginalized communities.
Freedom of Speech : Balancing the right to free expression with the need to prevent hate speech and misinformation.
Gun Control : Debates over the regulation of firearms to balance public safety with individual rights.
Animal Rights : Ethical treatment of animals in agriculture, research, and entertainment industries.

Ethical issues in Healthcare

Informed Consent : Ensuring patients fully understand and agree to the risks and benefits of medical procedures.
Patient Privacy : Protecting personal health information from unauthorized access and breaches.
End-of-Life Care : Navigating decisions regarding palliative care, life support, and euthanasia.
Resource Allocation : Fair distribution of limited medical resources, such as organs for transplant or critical care beds.
Access to Care : Addressing disparities in healthcare availability based on socioeconomic status, location, or insurance coverage.
Medical Errors : Handling mistakes in treatment or diagnosis ethically, including disclosure and compensation.
Patient Autonomy : Respecting patients’ rights to make their own healthcare decisions.
Genetic Testing and Screening : Managing the ethical implications of genetic information, including privacy and potential discrimination.
Experimental Treatments : Balancing the risks and benefits of unproven therapies, especially in clinical trials.
Mental Health Care : Ensuring ethical treatment of patients with mental health issues, including consent and autonomy.

Ethical Issues in Case Study

Confidentiality : Protecting the identities and personal information of the subjects involved in the case study.
Informed Consent : Ensuring that all participants are fully aware of the purpose, procedures, and potential risks of the study and have agreed to participate voluntarily.
Bias and Objectivity : Avoiding personal biases and ensuring that the case study is conducted and reported objectively.
Misrepresentation : Accurately presenting data and findings without manipulating or distorting the information.
Participant Harm : Ensuring that the case study does not cause physical, psychological, or emotional harm to the participants.
Cultural Sensitivity : Respecting the cultural backgrounds and beliefs of the participants and avoiding cultural biases.
Data Privacy : Safeguarding the data collected during the case study to prevent unauthorized access and breaches.
Conflict of Interest : Disclosing any potential conflicts of interest that may influence the conduct or outcomes of the study.
Use of Findings : Ensuring that the results of the case study are used ethically and do not harm the participants or any other stakeholders.

Examples of Ethical issues in Technology

Data Privacy : Ensuring the protection of personal data from unauthorized access and breaches.
Cybersecurity : Addressing the risks and ethical implications of hacking, data breaches, and cyberattacks.
Artificial Intelligence Bias : Preventing and mitigating biases in AI algorithms that can lead to unfair treatment or discrimination.
Surveillance : Balancing the need for security with individuals’ rights to privacy.
Digital Divide : Addressing inequalities in access to technology and the internet.
Intellectual Property : Protecting the rights of creators and inventors in the digital age.
Fake News and Misinformation : Combating the spread of false information online.
Social Media Ethics : Handling issues such as online harassment, hate speech, and the ethical responsibilities of social media platforms.
Autonomous Vehicles : Ensuring the safety and ethical programming of self-driving cars.
Genetic Engineering : Navigating the ethical implications of CRISPR and other genetic modification technologies.

Examples of Ethical Issues in Research

Informed Consent : Ensuring participants fully understand the nature, purpose, risks, and benefits of the research before agreeing to take part.
Confidentiality : Protecting the privacy of participants and ensuring their personal data is kept secure and not disclosed without consent.
Plagiarism : Presenting another person’s work or ideas as one’s own without proper attribution.
Fabrication and Falsification : Making up or altering data to present a false impression of the research findings.
Conflict of Interest : Disclosing any financial or personal interests that could affect the research’s integrity or outcomes.
Deception : Misleading participants about the true purpose of the research, which can undermine trust and integrity.
Risk of Harm : Ensuring that research does not cause physical, psychological, or emotional harm to participants.
Animal Welfare : Ensuring humane treatment and minimizing suffering of animals used in research.
Misuse of Research Funds : Using research grants and funding for purposes other than those specified.
Authorship Disputes : Fairly recognizing all contributors to the research and avoiding disputes over authorship.

How to Handle Ethical Issues in the Workplace

Establish a Code of Ethics : Create and communicate a comprehensive code of ethics, ensuring all employees understand the guidelines.
Provide Ethics Training : Conduct regular ethics training sessions using real-life scenarios to illustrate ethical decision-making.
Encourage Open Communication : Implement anonymous reporting channels and maintain an open-door policy for discussing ethical concerns.
Lead by Example : Leaders should model ethical behavior and hold all employees accountable to ethical standards.
Implement an Ethics Committee : Form a committee to address ethical issues and provide a transparent resolution process.
Regularly Review and Update Policies : Regularly update ethical policies based on continuous improvement and employee feedback.
Monitor and Audit : Conduct regular audits to ensure compliance and use performance metrics to adjust ethical practices.
Promote a Culture of Integrity : Foster a culture that values ethics and reward employees who demonstrate ethical behavior.
Address Ethical Issues Promptly : Address issues quickly to prevent escalation and ensure fair, impartial investigations.
Provide Support Resources : Offer ethics hotlines and guidance documents to support ethical decision-making.

Types of Ethical Issues

Confidentiality : Confidentiality issues occur when private information is disclosed without consent. This is common in professions like healthcare, law, and counseling.

Conflict of Interest : This arises when an individual’s personal interests could potentially interfere with their professional responsibilities.

Discrimination : Discrimination involves unfair treatment based on characteristics such as race, gender, age, or religion.

Harassment : Harassment includes unwanted and inappropriate actions directed towards someone, often creating a hostile work or social environment.

Environmental Ethics : These issues concern the impact of activities on the environment and the ethical responsibility to minimize harm.

Corporate Governance : Ethical issues in corporate governance relate to the proper management and oversight of organizations.

Fair Labor Practices : This involves the ethical treatment of workers, including fair wages, safe working conditions, and the right to organize.

How to Manage Ethical Issues

Establish Clear Ethical Guidelines : Develop and implement a comprehensive code of ethics, clearly defining acceptable and unacceptable behaviors.
Educate and Train : Conduct regular training sessions on ethical standards and practices to ensure all employees and stakeholders understand the ethical guidelines.
Encourage Open Communication : Foster an environment where individuals feel safe to voice concerns and implement mechanisms for reporting unethical behavior anonymously.
Lead by Example : Ensure leaders and managers demonstrate ethical behavior and hold everyone accountable, regardless of their position.
Regularly Review and Update Policies : Continuously assess and improve ethical guidelines, adapting policies to new challenges and changes in the industry.
Implement an Ethics Committee : Form a committee to oversee ethical practices and address issues, providing a clear process for resolving ethical dilemmas.
Monitor and Audit : Regularly monitor and audit organizational practices for compliance, using findings to make necessary adjustments and improvements.
Promote a Culture of Integrity : Integrate ethical values into the organization’s culture and reward ethical behavior and decision-making.

What is confidentiality in ethics?

Confidentiality in ethics means keeping private information secure and not sharing it without permission.

What constitutes a conflict of interest?

A conflict of interest occurs when personal interests could influence professional duties.

How is discrimination an ethical issue?

Discrimination is treating someone unfairly based on characteristics like race or gender.

Why are privacy issues important in ethics?

Privacy issues involve the unauthorized use or misuse of personal information.

What are environmental ethics?

Environmental ethics concern the impact of actions on the environment and minimizing harm.

How do consumer rights relate to ethics?

Consumer rights involve treating consumers fairly and honestly, avoiding deceptive practices.

How does fraud relate to ethical issues?

Fraud involves deception for personal or financial gain, violating ethical standards.

Why is academic research ethics important?

Academic research ethics ensure integrity, honesty, and respect in conducting and reporting research.

How does ethical decision-making work?

Ethical decision-making involves evaluating actions based on moral principles and their impact.

What are the consequences of ethical violations?

Ethical violations can lead to legal penalties, loss of trust, and damage to reputation.

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Beyond the Horizon: Exploring Ethics in “The Island”

This essay about Michael Bay’s “The Island” explores the ethical dilemmas posed by human cloning in a futuristic setting. It examines how the film challenges viewers to confront the moral implications of scientific advancement, focusing on themes of identity, autonomy, and societal ethics. Through dynamic storytelling and visual contrasts, the narrative follows protagonists Lincoln Six Echo and Jordan Two Delta as they uncover the truth about their existence and defy a system that commodifies human life. “The Island” prompts reflection on the ethical responsibilities of technology and the consequences of manipulating life for utilitarian ends, urging audiences to consider the ethical frontiers of scientific progress in an increasingly complex world.

How it works

In the tapestry of science fiction, Michael Bay’s 2005 film “The Island” emerges as a profound exploration of moral dilemmas in an era of rapid technological advancement. Set in a future where scientific progress has paved the way for human cloning, the narrative centers on Lincoln Six Echo (Ewan McGregor) and Jordan Two Delta (Scarlett Johansson), clones who unravel the truth about their existence and embark on a journey to reclaim their autonomy.

At its core, “The Island” serves as a compelling examination of ethical boundaries in biotechnology and the consequences of manipulating life for utilitarian purposes.

The film portrays a society where clones are bred solely for organ harvesting, kept ignorant of their true identities and purposes. This premise invites reflection on the ethical implications of scientific innovation and the ethical responsibilities that accompany technological progress.

Michael Bay’s directorial approach infuses the narrative with a dynamic blend of high-stakes action and introspective moments. The film’s kinetic energy propels the protagonists through thrilling sequences while prompting deeper contemplation of the moral quandaries faced by individuals ensnared in a system that commodifies their existence. Through visually striking cinematography and immersive storytelling, Bay challenges viewers to confront the ethical complexities of scientific advancement and the moral imperatives that govern human experimentation.

Central to “The Island” is the protagonists’ journey of self-discovery and rebellion against institutional control. As Lincoln and Jordan uncover the truth about their origins and struggle to break free from their predetermined fate, their narrative arc becomes a poignant allegory for personal autonomy and the search for authentic identity in a world driven by manipulation and deceit. Their evolution from passive acceptance to active resistance underscores the film’s thematic exploration of human agency, freedom, and the ethical responsibilities inherent in scientific exploration.

Thematically, “The Island” resonates with contemporary anxieties about the ethical implications of biotechnological progress. By depicting a future where scientific innovation has outpaced ethical considerations, the film prompts viewers to reflect on the potential consequences of treating human life as a commodity and the moral obligations of scientists and policymakers in safeguarding human dignity amidst technological advancement.

Beyond its thematic depth, “The Island” captivates with its meticulous world-building and visual design. The stark contrast between the clinical confines of the cloning facility and the idyllic beauty of the uninhabited island underscores the dichotomy between artificiality and authenticity. This visual juxtaposition not only enriches the film’s dystopian atmosphere but also serves as a metaphor for the characters’ quest for truth and liberation amidst a society dominated by deception and control.

In conclusion, “The Island” stands as a poignant exploration of ethical dilemmas within the realm of science fiction cinema. Through its compelling narrative and evocative visuals, Michael Bay invites audiences to critically engage with the ethical implications of biotechnological advancement and the moral imperatives guiding scientific innovation. By interweaving themes of identity, autonomy, and societal ethics, “The Island” encourages viewers to contemplate profound questions about human dignity and the ethical responsibilities inherent in the pursuit of knowledge and progress.

Ultimately, “The Island” serves as a powerful reminder of the ethical frontiers that humanity must navigate in an age defined by rapid technological change. It challenges us to consider the ethical implications of our actions and the imperative of upholding moral integrity in the pursuit of scientific discovery and societal advancement.

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