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Ethical Dilemmas : Ethical Dilemma

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To understand an ethical dilemma, we must first understand ethics. Ethics affect the way we think, act and understand each other. Ethics is the conscious reflection on our moral beliefs and attitudes through the use of normative ethical theories. Every human being is ethical. We constantly think before our actions, questionin who our actions will benefit, harm or the consequences. Politicians, doctors, students, pedestrians, teachers etc., are constantly making ethical decisions. Even though every human being is ethical, we all have differing ethical views. Which ties into the term ethical dilemma. An ethical dilemma is the choice between two nearly even balanced alternatives. In an ethical dilemma there is usually a choice between right …show more content…

Which would appeal to those who believe the co worker should keep the promise she made with Alice. Utilitarianism is a majority based ethical theory with its central principle highlighting the ideal of acting for the benefit of the majority. This theory would appeal to those who believe the co worker should donate to the children’s hospital.
The most ethically correct approach to this dilemma is Kantian ethics. Like mentioned before, Kantian ethics is a duty based theory. Meaning that Kant believes in the ideal of having and acting in obligations and duty. For example, In the article Kantian Ethics, “[Kant] feels that a person is acting morally only when he suppresses his/her feelings and inclinations and does that which he/she is obliged to do.” (page 35). The quote discusses how Kant believes that moral actions are performed when we suppress our emotional feelings and other impulses and follow our obligations. The co-worker has an obligation to Alice and Thomas as she made a promise to Alice. The co-worker clearly has her own inclinations but she would have to suppress them in order to task morally. On one hand the co-worker wants to value the promise she made, but she also wants to help sick children as well. If the co-worker were to listen to her own personal opinions, she would not be following the obligation and duty she made to Alice. Her actions would then be considered

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