essays on ethical dilemmas

221 Ethical Dilemma Essay Topics & Examples

An ethical dilemma essay has become an essential part of education for many professions that involve working with people. Below, we’ve collected topics for writing a paper on this subject.

🏆 Best Ethical Dilemma Essay Examples & Topics

📌 simple & easy ethical dilemma essay topics, 💡 most interesting ethical dilemma topics to write about, 🎓 good research topics about ethical dilemma, ✍️ ethical dilemma essay topics for college, ❓ questions for ethical dilemmas.

The concepts of ethics and moral dilemmas have originated long ago. They heavily influence the process of decision-making in a variety of fields, from social work and healthcare to a simple office workplace. Thus, you have to approach the ethical dilemma topic carefully. Writing a paper on the phenomenon should rely on locating the available evidence and citing the latest sources.

In this article, our team has gathered titles for your academic essay. Besides, with our tips and ethical dilemma paper examples, you will understand how to research and write it.

Emotional intelligence essays are an essential part of education for many professions that involve working with people, such as managers and teachers.

The concept is somewhat new, having been first introduced half a century ago and popularized at the end of the last century.

As such, you have to approach the topic carefully and rely on the latest available evidence to avoid citing outdated ideas.

Furthermore, as with any psychology-related topic, you should exhibit general caution and avoid the numerous pitfalls associated with the study of the human mind.

This article will help you understand what you should or should not do to write an excellent paper.

Here are some further tips for your work:

• Psychology relies on scenarios where a person’s behavior can be as free of outside factors as possible. Toddler observation and scholarly experiments with carefully selected conditions are excellent examples of such situations, and you should use them to ground your descriptions in reality.
• Be sure to adhere to academic guidelines, avoiding the use of first person, calls to action, and other additions that do not match the format. This approach is useful in general, as it applies to most essays and will be beneficial for future reports and similar submissions.
• Write an emotional intelligence essay introduction and conclusion at the end of your paper. They make your work easier to read by giving it structure and direction. The introduction should contain a description of the topic and a thesis statement, and the conclusion should sum up the main points.
• Try to set a central theme and address it in your essay instead of providing a general overview of the topic. There are many emotional intelligence essay questions that can be answered in considerable detail. As such, you should concentrate on one of them without getting distracted and sidetracked.

Come to IvyPanda for ethical dilemma essay examples as well as various titles that will help you begin your writing process!

• BP Oil Company Ethical Dilemma The damages caused by the spill originated from the effects of the oil on the environment and the damaging effects of the cleanup activities.
• An Ethical Dilemma Faced by Nestle: Case Analysis International staffing and development help Nestle to organize human resources in accordance with the needs of the company and its strategic goals.
• Ethical Dilemmas in Criminal Justice If one is to discuss the issue with the senior management of the organization in which the crime occurred, there is a high chance that the issue will not be taken as seriously due to […]
• Ethical Dilemma: Example, Problem, and Solution | Essay Example Secondly, I was supposed to show other employees that no one is above the policies of this company and if anyone commits a mistake the individual must be punished.
• Family Therapy: Ethical Dilemmas One of the ethical dilemmas in the case is that of deciding whether or not to disclose the information about Breen’s relationship with her boyfriend to her parents.
• Ethical Dilemma of Child Abuse In the above example, a nurse has to apply rational judgment to analyze the extent and threats when making decisions in the best interest of the victim of child abuse.
• Early Childhood Education Center’s Ethical Dilemma Therefore, it is necessary to involve different people in the discussion of this case because there are several ethical responsibilities applied to a new child, the children of the class, the staff, parents, and the […]
• Ethical Dilemmas Facing Teachers The proponents of this system claim that it is authentic and offers a first hand experience to the learners. The needs in this system include having a strong foundation in the areas that the knowledge […]
• Richard Angelo: A Serial Killer and His Ethical Dilemma The convicted claimed he made the injections to cause crises to be able to revive patients and become a hero in front of his colleagues.
• Samsung’s Ethical Dilemma of Child Labor The paper will critically analyze the ethical dimensions of the dilemma from the perspective of the utilitarian ethical theory. It will be argued that according to the fundamental principles of the theory, the company’s behavior […]
• The Ford Pinto Case and Ethical Dilemma Lee Iacocca, the Ford company’s president, was accused of disregarding the need to improve the safety of Pinto cars due to the increased cost.
• Ethical Dilemmas in Counselling and Treatment Methods The case of Brett has become an ethical issue based on the following; questions are revolving around what information can be released to the parents and parents request to review the diagnosis since no procedure […]
• Ethical Dilemma: Counselors Engaging in Relations with Clients They should keep a boundary in the way they relate to the clients to ensure that their relationship with the client does no harm or pose potential harm to the clients.
• Ethical Dilemma in Nursing: Case Study Today, being a nurse is associated with a number of complexities due to the need to comply with diverse obligations in social, political, and healthcare segments.
• Ethical Dilemmas in Social Workers’ Practice In order to resolve the emerging dilemma, it is necessary to identify the involved stakeholders, model two possible courses of events, evaluate the implications of each and come to a conclusion regarding the preferential option […]
• Public Administration Ethical Dilemma and Theories Smith should take the responsibility of ensuring that the needs of the majority are upheld since the welfare of the community, and the organization is of importance.
• Ethical Dilemma in “The Reader” Film by S. Daldry She is surprised and confused by the hypocrisy of the judges and her co-defendants, who act as if they do not remember that period and as if they were not part of that society.
• Ethical Dilemma in Healthcare Administration Ethical concerns root for the distinction and separation of clinical ethics and business ethics in order to avoid complications of the responsibilities in the health care system.
• Ethical Dilemma of Patient Care Delivery However, the administration of more pain depressants is likely to escalate the addiction problem while the denial of the medication will aggravate the patient’s suffering.
• The Ethical Dilemma: Siemens In relation to the above dilemmas, the bounded bribery applies to the psychological tendency of the conspirators to fulfill selfish interests of self enrichment at the expense of the shareholders’ goals and objectives.
• The Unocal Firm’s Ethical Dilemma in Burma The oil corporation was eager to investigate oil potential in Burma, a place that the rest of the world had abandoned due to several problems.
• Decision Making Challenges Facing Ethical Dilemma In the same way the performance of line managers is judged by the quality of the decisions they make. From the management of Herbs garden products, the following steps could be taken: State the problem […]
• Ethical Dilemmas in Workplace Analysis Therefore, the main purpose of this project is to explore the types of dilemmas and the factors that affect the workers response to the dilemmas in a workplace.
• “Ethical Dilemmas and Decisions in Criminal Justice” by Pollock If hunting is the primary means of survival of a particular society, the euthanasia of the elderly and the sick can be deemed acceptable.
• Ethical Dilemma in Journalism A good example is the clause in the code of ethics that states that reporters are supposed to show reverence to the privacy and dignity of the public.
• International Satellite Images Ethical Dilemma Comprehensively, when the code of ethics is entrenched as part of ISI’s business culture, the company would have a seamless process for managing ethical dilemmas.
• Solving Ethical Dilemmas in Public Relations In the case study, the main problem arises from the client’s deceit concerning the independent nature of the scientist testing the products in a bid to ensure a favorable public image of the products to […]
• Domestic Violence Ethical Dilemmas in Criminal Justice Various ethical issues such as the code of silence, the mental status of the offender, and limited evidence play a vital role in challenging the discretion of police officers in arresting the DV perpetrators.
• Abortion: An Ethical Dilemma and Legal Position The core concerns in the controversy are whether women should have the right to decide to terminate a pregnancy or whether the unborn child has the right to life.
• Journalism Ethical Dilemma: Moral Discourse This situation resulted in an ethical dilemma for the journalist who has to decide whether to publish the article about the accident and potentially dangerous products or to take the money and remain silent.
• Kazuo Ishiguro’s “Never Let Me Go” and Major Ethical Dilemmas Raised Some claim that since clones are created in a laboratory with the help of specific tools and with the number of certain genes, they cannot be regarded as humans. In conclusion, it is necessary to […]
• Workplace Health & Safety: The Ethical Dilemmas In addition, this paper focuses on the theoretical framework of the ethical dilemmas of the employers about workplace environment, and the activities of Occupational Safety and Health Administration.
• Ethical Dilemma- The Fate of Opel Foreign direct investment has a number of benefits to the economy of the host countries. In case the host countries do not have adequate labor necessary in the accomplishment of organizational goals, the multinational companies […]
• Hyundai Dispatch Workers and Ethical Dilemma According to the workers, the leadership of Hyundai was responsible for the safety of the employees at the workplace. The representatives of the temporary employees occupied the company requiring changes in the employment terms.
• Ethical Dilemma: The Missing Needle Protector Health care professionals and patients have to develop a level of trust to support the recovery process for patients and the status of the hospital.
• Ethical Dilemmas: An Analysis of Two Cases In the case of IVF, such a procedure is prohibited according to Joe and Mary’s religion which means that they must not engage in it.
• Ethical Dilemmas Surrounding Self-Driving Cars The video taken showed that the driver in the car was shocked and could not do anything to save the woman.
• Abortion: Ethical Dilemma in Pope John Paul II’s View This paper tries to examine the abortion ethical dilemma from the lens of the Pope’s thoughts and proposals. Towards the end of the 20th century, new ideas and thoughts began to emerge in different parts […]
• Ethical Dilemma With the Bank Teller On the other hand, the bank calls for honesty in service and client protection, and given that the teller took the money without permission from an inactive account belonging to a customer it is professionally […]
• Ethical Dilemmas in the “21” Movie At the beginning of the movie, we mistakenly take his attitude for granted, but the development of the plot discloses the negative consequences of the Professor’s actions.
• Patient’s Secret Revelation: Ethical Dilemma She had to choose whether to hide the information, which she had received from a cancer patient and which was relevant to the treatment, from other nurses and doctors or to reveal it despite the […]
• Drug-Testing: Utilitarian Theory Ethical Dilemma This is because, given the fact that Utilitarian theory’s foremost theoretical premise is being concerned with the notion of amaximization of benefits’ 1, it will only be logical, on my part, to assume that the […]
• Ethical Dilemma Analysis: Easyriders v. Hannigan Hunnigan represents the case of California motorcyclists filing a suit against the Commissioner of California Highway Patrol for the purpose of permanent injunction against stopping motorcyclists on the ground of officer’s subjective opinion that helmets […]
• Joe Smith and Bill Bateman: Ethical Dilemma Analysis Indeed, their cooperation is attributed with the features of gray zone business conduct where the boundaries between the personal and the business issues are blurred.
• The Legal and Ethical Dilemma in Dental Health The objective side of the crime in the case of silencing the incompetence of a colleague in dentistry is expressed in the failure to fulfill the duties of the statement to the appropriate authorities.
• An Ethical Dilemma and Lapse in Business An ethical dilemma and lapse differ in the people’s motivation driving decisions. Meanwhile, an ethical lapse occurs due to an unethical conversation involving selective quoting and misleading audiences.
• Ethical Dilemma Concepts on Example Phoebe’s Case In order to protect her rights, the council should not interfere with her applications on the basis of what Phoebe did. In addition to punishment, she should be made to repeat the assignment and submit […]
• Ethical Dilemma of Law Enforcement Code of Ethics Police officers are the example for citizens of the country which they serve, and they should correspond to the position which is occupied.
• Post-Dated Cheque Ethical Dilemma in Accounting First, the recipients of the delayed check will lose interest corresponding to the duration of the delay. In this scenario, Tabitha will be held responsible for the unethical actions and the incurrence of losses by […]
• Ethical Dilemmas in Healthcare Institutions The interviewee outlined the major strategies used to handle ethical dilemmas in the healthcare facility. The supervisor will be required to assess the impact of the ethical or legal dilemma.
• Ethical Dilemma in Medical Practice The particular ethical principles that are inherent in this case include the following: Justice: the doctor, in this case, feels a strong sense of duty to serve the patient, though the patient cannot clearly satisfy […]
• Ethical Dilemma in Law Enforcement: Confidentiality and Misuse of Information Additionally, Badpenny’s choice to reveal private information was affected by the organizational structure of the University City Police Department and the Grantham County Sheriff’s Office.
• Ethical Dilemma of Stopping City Authority In this scenario, the ethical dilemma is balancing the duty to enforce the law with the potential harm that could be caused by a public arrest of a fellow officer.
• Ethical Dilemma Analysis: Criminal Justice Case The publicity of the case added another layer of complexity to the decision, as either verdict would alienate a part of the population.
• The Ethical Dilemma of Navigating Disagreements in Nursing Care Disputes arise when nurses have different opinions on the type, frequency, and effectiveness of specific care options for a patient due to the differences in their scope of practice and focus.
• Ethical Dilemma in Healthcare: Privacy and the Right to Know Moreover, the staff cannot ignore the fact that Tina is likely to be wrong in her decision not to reveal the diagnosis to Victoria.
• Ethical Dilemmas Regarding Rape and Abortion Therefore, this paper discusses the module 8 case study and related cases regarding rape and abortion, applying dialectical thinking to the module 8 case and why Mary in the case study should not undergo abortion […]
• Hiring the Previously Convicted Cybercriminals: Ethical Dilemma The deontological theory focuses not on the consequences of an act but on the intentions and desire of a person to act for the benefit of others.
• Ethical Dilemmas Hindering Provision of Health Services in Tanzania The strikes have always been linked to two issues: 1) the working conditions of doctors, including infrastructure, the availability of medicines, equipment, and other medical supplies, and 2) the underpayment of wages and benefits.
• Analysis of Ethical Dilemma: Euthanasia One of these is the right to live, which includes much more than the ability to simply exist, and suggests an adherence to a minimum of quality and self-determination.
• Researching of IT Ethical Dilemmas In addition, there are Notified Data Breach Laws that oblige businesses and CSPs to report the incident to the government and all users of the service and customers in the event of a data breach.
• Ethical Dilemmas: Cases Analysis In the case of Joe and Marie, natural law theory also demonstrates that ethically the IVF procedure is morally justified for several reasons.
• Ethical Dilemma of Parental Refusal From Children’s Vaccination Kerry attempts to convince the Smiths of the relevance of vaccination in preventing infection by chronic diseases. Autonomy, beneficence, non-maleficence, and justice are ethical principles applicable in resolving the moral issue of whether or not […]
• Ethical Dilemma of Saving Customers’ Personal Information The key point of the action was to be in line with the company’s code of ethics and, at the same time, show the wrongdoing of the colleague’s action to himself.
• Truth vs. Loyalty: Tinkov’s Ethical Dilemma Moreover, his pacifist text and critique of the Russian aggression and dictatorship made Tinkov’s life unsafe. He chose truthfulness and freedom from greed over political loyalty and the well-being of his business.
• Ethical Dilemma: Gun Violence Discussion The teaching of access or locked on the presence of weapons in people for a long time is a reason for discussion.
• Legal-Ethical Dilemma in Nursing An example of an urgent legal-ethical dilemma is the one reported and described by a practicing nurse and a patient, Marylyn.
• Global Poverty: The Ethical Dilemma Unfortunately, a significant obstacle to such global reforms is that many economic systems are based on the concept of inequality and exploitation.
• Ethical Dilemma of a 2016 TV Commercial for Milk by Juhayna At the end of the ad, the creators claim that Juhayna’s milk is the best in Egypt after Dondou. The message presented in the advertisement can influence the decision of mothers to stop breastfeeding, which […]
• Nurses’ Ethical Dilemmas in the Work Environment According to the scenario of Mr. According to the scenario of Mr.
• The Concept of Ethical Dilemmas To evaluate this, such professionals should be subject to constant psychological and physical monitoring, observing the degree of their suitability for work.
• Ethical Dilemma of Abortion Triumphalism In this issue and other matters, the affected person’s experience may not be a determining factor for the expression of opinion but is unique.
• Self-Determination and Ethical Dilemma of Assisted Suicide The reason for both euthanasia and assisted suicide, the difference between which is in who actively ends the life, the doctor or the patient, is ending unbearable pain.
• Ethical Dilemma Regarding Forced Vaccination It seems that people are already used to restrictive measures from the government and have accepted the need to use masks in public places, but the introduction of compulsory vaccination and the resulting bans proved […]
• Ethical Dilemma: The Case Study Thus, a difficult dilemma emerged for Ali, who by eating the meal would violate his religious obligations and by refusing it would show disrespect to the hosts, and especially the mother of the colleague.
• Ethical Dilemmas in Public Health Such an action could be unwelcomed by the health agencies, and their employees, but, at the same time, the research needs to depict an accurate analysis of the performance of the health programs.
• The Ethical Dilemma in Guantanamo Bay Prison in the USA In Guantanamo Bay, it is the role of soldiers to ensure justice and protection of human rights. However, the housing of these prisoners and the condition of the Guantanamo Bay detainee camp is ethical.
• Ethical Dilemma and Ethics and Honest Reporting And adhering to the principle of rights, professions have an ethical duty to evaluate the consequences of a particular decision they make in relation to the rights of other people.
• The Ethical Dilemma on Abortion From the perspective of the Christian philosophy, a person is a product and manifestation of the love of God, hence the sanctity of any human life.
• Ethical Dilemma at Abura Petrol Station He felt grateful to his friend for offering a job and wanted to meet the hopes of the petrol network’s owner.
• Civil-Military Tension as Ethical Dilemma The first is to accept the situation as it is without questions, strictly following the orders and observing the limitations of their inferior position as consultants to the government.
• Aspects of Media Ethical Dilemmas While all three sources have a goal of informing the audience of Burrous’s passing, the extent to which they unveil the details differs depending on the context, the source’s relation to the anchor, and the […]
• Ethical Dilemma: Benefiting from High-Conflicting Personality The primary reason for the potential ignorance of one’s wrongdoing is the positive consequences of their actions that outweigh the total harm they bring.
• Ethical Dilemma. Legal Protection for Employee On the other hand, the leaving colleague might have a change of heart and remain with the original company, so revealing the plans to the boss will affect his opportunities.
• Abortion as Moral and Ethical Dilemma Despite the conflicting approaches to solving the moral and ethical dilemma of abortion, experts agree that it is possible to reduce the severity of the problem with the help of more excellent sexual education of […]
• “Ethical Dilemmas in MNCs’ International Staffing Policies” by Banai and Sama The paper assumes that in the age of the rise of global international corporations international staffing policies acquire the top priority because of their impact on outcomes.
• Contemporary Ethical Reflection: Ethical and Legal Dilemmas in Health Care The counties also blamed the state for being ignorant of the problem of adequate financing of the Medicaid program on supporting the poor and disables.
• Ethical Dilemmas in the Hiibel Legal Case in Nevada The search had a reasonable suspicion since, during the investigation of the assault, Hiibel was within the area of search, and when he was asked his name, he failed to answer the police officer.
• Baby and Mother: End of Life Ethical Dilemma To sum the above mentioned, it should be mentioned that patients, physicians, and caregivers face a lot of dilemmas in regards to life situations.
• Unethical Practices: Michael Jackson, Ethical Dilemma The case between the people and the king of pop, Michael Jackson, elicited two main ethical concerns: the passion of the prosecutor to convict the defendant and the possibility of the prosecutor to be an […]
• Noting the Error in Projections: Scott Bestor’s Ethical Dilemma The second ethical issue is balancing the expectations of the management and the consequences of reporting the error in projections. Scott is aware that reporting the error to the management might result in disciplinary action […]
• Behavior of a Police Officer Within an Ethical Dilemma First and foremost, one should note that one of the most typical ethical concerns in the relevant field is the cases of discrimination on the ground of the national origin.
• Ethical Dilemma in Nursing Practice The psychologist can help the patient deal with the emotional aspect of pain. These skills empower the patient to cope with the pain and the side effects of treatment.
• Accounting: Ethical Dilemmas Equally, I will consider the repercussions of agreeing to the command. I will also consider being a whistleblower and report the matter to the relevant authorities.
• The Ethical Dilemma in Nursing One of the most common ethical dilemmas that advanced practice nurses face is the lack of consent on the part of the patient.
• Ethical Dilemma in Nursing Finding a solution to the ethical issues in Max’s case was important because failure to do so would have different consequences for the patient, the parents, and the caregivers.
• Moral, Ethical and Legal Dilemmas of Suicide Since it is a duty of medical practitioners to treat and care for patients, it would be immoral to allow a patient to commit suicide.
• Asthma and Medications: The Ethical Dilemma in Treating Children One of the major causes of dilemma, however, is the inability to manage and treat the condition in children under the age of 7 years due to ethical dilemma.
• Ethical and Moral Dilemmas in Accounting and Business Entities This may paint a wrong picture of the actual position of the company and may lead to collapsing if irregularities are not addressed as in the case of Enron.
• An Ethical Dilemma – Religious Belief Versus Medical Practice In the first step, the ethical dilemma is between the principle of beneficence in the treatment of meningitis and the principle of autonomy with respect to the decision of the parents.
• Ethical Dilemma for Sam Torres In this case, it is possible to distinguish several ethical issues: 1) the conflict between Sam’s professional principles and his private interest such as desire to retain his job; 2) the interests of Bull & […]
• Ethical Dilemmas That Practitioners Face in the Company According to the findings of the commission, it was discovered that ethical issues affecting the police body has to do with process corruption, issue of gratuities and improper associations, substance abuse, fraudulent practices, assaults and […]
• Ethical Dilemmas in Business Processes Henry on the other hand is a manager and we are not told whether his organization is prepared to allow all staff to make use of such offers as that which Claire has provided in […]
• Virtue Ethics: One Way to Resolve an Ethical Dilemma Other members of the usability team argue that although there was a clear loophole that the external members can choose to exploit so that they can be released from the work that they need to […]
• Ethical Dilemmas Within Organisations During the COVID-19 The moral analysis of the acts of the management of Britannia Hotel can also be analyzed based on the ethics of duties with an emphasis on the individual.
• Ethical Dilemma: Parental Notification The main issue that is to be addressed is that the boy asks the counselor not to notify his parents about the drug problem, but is it ethical to keep this information confidential?
• LinkedIn Ethical Dilemma The candidates most likely to be recruited by the employers using the LinkedIn website are the premium account holders whose applications appear at the top of the applications pile.
• The Ethical Dilemma: Aborting Babies With Handicaps The standard for such a condition is the elimination of the fetus and the doctor prescribed it as the only solution that would save the other of the twins.
• NASW Code of Ethics: Social Workers and Ethical Dilemmas As part of my action, I accessed her files and changed the date that she was to leave the facility by adding a month to it. However, I had acted professionally because it was in […]
• Ethical Dilemmas Overview and Analysis This student should be advised to report the matter to a teacher so that the owner of the iPod can be traced.
• Resolving Ethical Dilemmas 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 […]
• Ethical Dilemmas in Mental Health Treatment Treatment of inmates with psychological problems is a delicate and sensitive process because such inmates are not in the normal state to reason.
• Empress Luxury Lines: Ethical Dilemma The dilemma infringes on Antonio’s principles and values because he thinks that the conduct of the company is not by the insurance company’s policies and principles and that, the management team should face the law.
• The Ethical Dilemma by Pureco Corporation As the Pureco manager, I have the obligation of maximizing the stakeholders’ welfare, and considering that the company had already invested quite a huge sum of money in the establishment and marketing of the Newpen […]
• The Ethical Dilemma of Practicing Psychology of Acceptable Training At first blush, many people will probably agree that this additional element is the collection of moral principles and values of what is right and what is wrong and what is good and what is […]
• Ethical Dilemmas: Morgan Brown Real Estate Company In the case of the latter ethical dilemma, it would be more effective and honest for this particular company to accept the fact that favouring one client over the other could lead to a tarnished […]
• Possible Solutions to the Ethical Dilemmas This varied, different group of the workforce is being required to work harmoniously jointly in the strength of teamwork and respect for the advantage of the company and the public they deal with.
• The Tobacco Marketing Ethical Dilemma The epidemiological evidence of the deadly tobacco effect in 1964 set the precedence for the mistrust between the tobacco production stakeholders and the public interest groups, that has led to long battle between the two […]
• Organ Donation: Ethical Dilemmas An example of an ethical dilemma surrounding the procedure is the case of rich man vs.poor man, or rather, the case of a person who can afford to buy an organ on the black market […]
• Aging and Cultural Diversity: Ethical Dilemmas Indeed, however absurd it may sound at first, this reading is right in pointing out that aging and cultural diversity do relate to each other and form a single concept relative to the formation of […]
• Ethical Dilemma in Teacher Career One was the departmental association vice president and the professor in the university; he was also the advisor of a student that had a hard relationship with one’s colleague the professor of physics.
• Dementia: Ethical Dilemmas Opting to withdraw the tube may lead to the physiological deprivation of the patient and as a result, the worst-case scenario is the death of the patient.
• Ethical Dilemma: Solving a Situation, Decision Theory Under business ethics, this is a form of art which is said to examine the ethical principles or even the moral problems which might tend to occur as a result of running the business and […]
• Ethical Dilemma in the Psychologists Career Therefore, the dilemma that I faced as a school psychologist dealing with the psychological issues of Ayesha has been the ethical choice needed to be taken between what is good and what is wrong that […]
• Ethical Dilemma in Mental Health Patient Care My ethical response to the situation was that Catherine should only be attended to by the female staff especially when she was naked and that only the female staff needed to have access to the […]
• The Acme Title Pawn Employee’s Ethical Dilemma While the situation is controversial, it can be stated that Joe should change the workplace and explain to his family the reasons for such a decision.
• Ethical Dilemmas in the Nursing Field As a human, I felt that the safety of the lady took precedence; hence I could not allow her to walk alone. As a nurse leader, I would encourage my staff to always put the […]
• Google Inc.’s Historical Ethical Dilemmas It is sad to say that various forms of unethical behavior are common in the workforce, and specific analysis is required to determine the impact of this phenomenon on the business industry.
• Performance-Enhancing Drugs Use as Ethical Dilemma According to Christian beliefs, Paul should refuse to partake in the team’s abuse of PEDs because it offers him and his teammates an unfair advantage over other athletes.
• Medical Ethical Dilemmas: Taking a Stand Morality is the idea of correctness and rightness that is constructed on people’s experiences and applied to the life of society.
• Ethical Advertising: Dilemmas and Resolutions One of the core aspects that should not be overlooked is that the number of competitors is going to increase significantly, and it is entirely possible that the company will suffer because of such policies.
• Wasta (Nepotism) Ethical Dilemma at the Workplace Moreover, with the present social costs in our society that have arisen through the use of wasta, it is impossible to justify the use of wasta in hiring and performing business transactions.
• The Ethical Dilemma: Case of Chantu The ethical dilemma in the case of Chant is that her father wants her to leave school to manage the house and look after her three siblings.
• Ethical Dilemma on the Company Valuation Mistake I could inform my team and the company boards of the said mistake; I could inform the team but keep the company in the dark, or I could ignore the mistake altogether.
• Flight 93 Incident and Ethical Dilemma This paper evaluates the ethical standing of this question from a utilitarian point of view to establish the rightness or wrongness of the decision to shoot down the plane before it crashed.
• Police Corruption and Citizen’s Ethical Dilemma There are three key stakeholders in the given situation, which are the policemen, who set the terms; the father, who is to take the pivoting decision; and the family, who depends on the decision which […]
• Poverty in America: An Ethical Dilemma In contrast, a considerable percentage of the populations believe the society has the moral obligation to eradicate poverty, and thus, they hold the view that the solution to poverty reduction lies in the socioeconomic policies.
• Ethical Dilemma Involving a Social Worker As a social worker, I have to decide whether to support the community group, which is unanimously opposed to the decision of the housing authorities to rent to the local mental health department to establish […]
• Women’s Ethical Dilemma in the United States Army I had wanted to demonstrate to girls in schools across the country that it is possible for a woman to succeed in the American military. One of the greatest principles I have embraced in my […]
• Environmental Protection Agency’s Ethical Dilemma It is trying to find ways of meeting the demands of the new administration but in a way that will not compromise the need to protect the environment.
• Physician-Assisted Dying: Legal and Ethical Dilemma The case study relates to the right of a patient to die in various ways. To begin with, terminally ill people have the right to choose whether to live, or be allowed to pass on.
• Suicidal Ideation as Ethical Dilemma in Nursing According to the ethical guidelines that govern the profession of a nurse and other health care providers, their primary role is to protect life by enhancing the status of wellness of the patient.
• California Micro Devices Company: Ethical Dilemma In 1989, Price Waterhouse, the firm’s chief auditor, observed that the company was engaging in questionable accounting practices and business dealings.
• Ethical Dilemma & Glyphosate: Post Foods Company In this case, some experts believe that it is a vivid instance of the unethical business practices, as Post Foods’s consumers do not expect to find any pesticides in the products that are overtly advertised […]
• Ethical Dilemma and Environmental Surveillance Companies, for example, Planet Labs and Digital Globe have dispatched many miniaturized satellites in the most recent year with the objective of recording the status of the whole earth in real-time.
• ProTech Company’s Ethical Dilemma According to the analysis of the data performed by Staci, the company seems to be having a high potential for growth over the next half-decade.
• Ethical Dilemma in Business Communication Today This paper explores this dilemma in terms of the extent to which a firm may abide by the ethical provisions against the backdrop of the heightening competition.
• Arranged Marriage and Its Ethical Dilemma His family would be happy to see him married to the person they chose, and his father would save his reputation.
• Ethical Dilemma: Swimming Pool Building This is evident when the contractor conducts the private work of the mayor without any delay, as well as the birthday gift that the contractor advances to the mayor as a friend.
• Ethical Dilemmas in Prison’s Research The present paper aims to discuss the applicability of confidentiality and privacy provisions to prison research by addressing both the general rules regarding confidentiality of information in research and the specific considerations that apply to […]
• The Right to Die: Legal and Ethical Dilemma Consequently, the primary goal of the paper is to discover the freedoms of a patient, specifically, the right to die with the help of a controversial and confusing case of Mrs.
• Teacher’s Ethical Dilemma and Legal Responsibilities However, she is legally obligated not to leak exams to her students in any way because that would defeat the very purpose of the exams.
• A Compliance Officer Ethical Dilemma According to the compliance officer that was interviewed for this project, the SMAA program anticipated the high cost or unnecessary expenditures that are going to affect the reimbursement process if the physicians and other health […]
• Ethical Dilemmas in Professional Psychology In this case, it is essential that he explains to the client the legal consequences he will face should it be discovered that he is having a social relationship with her.
• HBOS Plc Company’s Ethical Dilemma The ethical dilemma in the case is that the top management of the company used complex nature of the financial statements and the weaknesses in the accounting standards to manipulate the financial records with an […]
• Employee’s Role in Ethical Dilemma Jan is aware of the possible layoffs at JLT that could affect Steve, and she knows the expenses that Steve, unaware of the resolution by the leadership, is about to make in building a house […]
• Ethical Dilemma: Political Involvement in Abortion The development of medicine brought the issue to the fore in the late 19th century. Therefore, it is but natural that it is the right of a woman to make the choice.
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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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12 Interesting Ethical Topics for Essay Papers

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Writing a persuasive essay requires identifying interesting ethical topics, and these options might inspire you to create a powerful and engaging essay, position paper , or speech for your next assignment.

Should Teens Have Plastic Surgery?

Good looks are highly prized in society. You can see advertisements everywhere urging you to buy products that will supposedly enhance your appearance. While many products are topical, plastic surgery is probably the ultimate game-changer. Going under the knife to enhance your looks can be a quick fix and help you achieve the look you desire. It also carries risks and can have lifelong consequences. Consider whether you think teens—who are still developing into mature individuals—should have the right to make such a big decision at such a young age, or if their parents should be able to decide for them.

Would You Tell If You Saw a Popular Kid Bullying?

Bullying is a big problem in schools and even in society in general. But it can be difficult to show courage, step up—and step in—if you see a popular kid bullying someone at school. Would you report it if you saw this happening? Why or why not?

Would You Speak Up If Your Friend Abused an Animal?

Animal abuse by youngsters can foreshadow more violent acts as these individuals grow up. Speaking up might save the animal pain and suffering today, and it might steer that person away from more violent acts in the future. But would you have the courage to do so? Why or why not?

Would You Tell If You Saw a Friend Cheating on a Test?

Courage can come in subtle forms, and that can include reporting seeing someone cheat on a test. Cheating on a test might not seem like such a big deal; perhaps you've cheated on a test yourself. But it is against the policies of schools and universities worldwide. If you saw someone cheating, would you speak up and tell the teacher? What if it were your buddy cheating and telling might cost you a friendship? Explain your stance.

Should News Stories Slant Toward What People Want to Hear?

There is much debate over whether the news should be unbiased or allow commentary. Newspapers, radios, and news television stations are businesses, just as much as a grocery store or online retailers. They need customers to survive, and that means appealing to what their customers want to hear or see. Slanting reports toward popular opinions could increase ratings and readership, in turn saving newspapers and news shows, as well as jobs. But is this practice ethical? What do you think?

Would You Tell If Your Best Friend Had a Drink at the Prom?

Most schools have strict rules about drinking at the prom, but many students still engage in the practice. After all, they'll be graduating soon. If you saw a friend imbibing, would you tell or look the other way? Why?

Should Football Coaches Be Paid More Than Professors?

Football often brings in more money than any other single activity or program a school offers, including academic classes. In the corporate world, if a business is profitable, the CEO and those who contributed to the success are often rewarded handsomely. With that in mind, shouldn't it be the same in academia? Should top football coaches get paid more than top professors? Why or why not?

Should Politics and Church Be Separate?

Candidates often invoke religion when they're campaigning. It's generally a good way to attract votes. But should the practice be discouraged? The U.S. Constitution, after all, dictates that there should be a separation of church and state in this country. What do you think and why?

Would You Speak Up If You Heard an Ugly Ethnic Statement at a Party Filled With Popular Kids?

As in the previous examples, it can be hard to speak up, especially when an incident involves popular kids. Would you have the courage to say something and risk the ire of the "in" crowd? Who would you tell?

Should Assisted Suicides Be Allowed for Terminally Ill Patients?

Some countries, like the Netherlands, allow assisted suicides , as do some U.S. states. Should "mercy killing" be legal for terminally ill patients who are suffering from great physical pain? What about patients whose diseases will negatively impact their families? Why or why not?

Should a Student's Ethnicity Be a Consideration for College Acceptance?

There has been a long-standing debate about the role ethnicity should play in college acceptance. Proponents of affirmative action argue that underrepresented groups should be given a leg up. Opponents say that all college candidates should be judged on their merits alone. What do you think and why?

Should Companies Gather Information About Their Customers?

Information privacy is a big and growing issue. Every time you log onto the internet and visit an online retailer, news company, or social media site, companies gather information about you. Should they have the right to do so, or should the practice be banned? Why do you think so? Explain your answer.

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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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28 Ethical Dilemma Examples

An ethical dilemma is a situation where two or more moral principles conflict, forcing the individual to choose between them.

The conflict between these principles often makes people struggle with deciding which one to follow and which one to compromise.

A common social dilemma example is when a physician has to choose between breaking a patient’s confidentiality or preventing harm to another person.

Ethical dilemmas go beyond being just ideas on paper (Barrett, 2018). They have a direct impact on the decisions people make in the real world.

Think about how business leaders have to balance making money and being responsible to society (Reynolds, 2014). Also, consider how journalists have to balance giving the public information and respecting people’s privacy (Plaisance, 2017).

Types of Ethical Dilemmas

Rushworth Kidder, an author and ethicist, introduced a framework outlining four types of ethical dilemmas—truth vs. loyalty, individual vs. community, short-term vs. long-term, and justice vs. mercy (Kidder, 2010).

Understanding these classifications aids in dissecting complex moral quandaries and enables effective decision-making .

Below is each type:

• Truth vs Loyalty: This type of ethical dilemma arises when one is caught between absolute honesty and allegiance to individuals or groups (Kidder, 2015). For instance, consider an employee who discovers fraudulent activities in their company. If they disclose this information, they remain truthful but might violate their loyalty to the company and colleagues (real-world example of whistleblowing).
• Individual vs. Community: Individual vs. community dilemmas involve discrepancies between personal interests and collective benefits (Kidder, 2010). A pandemic situation offers an apt example—individuals might resist wearing masks for personal comfort, but this stands contrary to the community’s need for public safety (this is a contemporary real-world example).
• Short-term vs. Long-term: This type of ethical dilemma compels one to choose between immediate benefits or long-term consequences (Kidder, 2015). For instance, a business might opt to cut corners and make profits now, despite the potential long-term detriment to its reputation and customer trust (real-world example of businesses taking shortcuts).
• Justice vs Mercy: Lastly, justice vs. mercy dilemmas highlight the tension between fair consequences and compassion (Kidder, 2010). In the courtroom, for example, a judge might struggle with issuing a strict sentence (justice) or leniency (mercy), particularly in extenuating circumstances such as the accused being a first-time offender (real-world example from the legal system).

Throughout these categories, Kidder advocated for thoughtful analysis and dialogue to navigate the complexities accompanying ethical dilemmas. His work illuminates the intricacies of moral decision-making, underscoring ethics as a dynamic and challenging field.

Examples of Ethical Dilemmas

Truth vs loyalty.

1. Conflict of Interest This occurs when your loyalty to one party undermines your ability to be truthful or impartial to another. For instance, an auditor reviewing the accounts of a company where a relative is an executive officer faces a truth versus loyalty dilemma.

2. Whistleblowing This situation evolves when an employee uncovers illegal or unethical practices within an organization. The employee must choose between loyalty to the organization and telling the truth by exposing the wrongdoing.

3. Professional Secrecy When professionals like doctors or lawyers have information about a client that could harm others––like a patient revealing they intend to harm someone, they face a truth versus loyalty debate about whether to break confidentiality.

4. Journalism Confidentiality Reporters often deal with the dilemma when protecting a source’s anonymity may protect wrongdoing or cause harm. They must weigh their loyalty to the source against their commitment to truth and public interest.

5. Employee Favoritism Managers might face dilemmas when choosing between treating all employees fairly (truth) and giving preferential treatment to friends or family in the workplace (loyalty).

6. Client Representation Lawyers often grapple with representing a client faithfully––even when the client is guilty of a crime and denying it in court. This dilemma pits their loyalty to the client against their commitment to the truth.

7. Academic Cheating A student who is aware of another student’s academic dishonesty faces the problem of loyalty to a friend versus the truthful reporting of misconduct.

Individual vs Community

Also known as: Social Dilemma

8. Vaccination Debates Individuals may resist getting vaccinated for personal health beliefs, conflicting with the community’s wellbeing, which benefits from herd immunity. 

9. Resource Allocation Communities may require certain resources for the common good , which may limit an individual’s access to these resources for personal use.

10. Zoning Disputes A city’s decision to allow commercial developments in residential areas could harm the quality of life for individual residents while promoting the economic growth of the community.

11. Public Health Measures During a pandemic, individuals may disagree with measures like lockdowns that limit their personal freedoms, even if these measures are beneficial to the community as a whole.

12. Education Policy Changes Policies like school consolidation can affect individual children who prefer smaller, neighborhood schools over larger institutions preferable for budgetary and educational reasons. 

13. Environmental Regulations Regulations that protect the environment often restrict individual liberties by limiting options for property development or resource use.

14. Freedom of Speech A person’s right to express potentially harmful or offensive ideas can conflict with a community’s desire for safety and respect.

Short-term vs Long-term

15. Financial Investments Deciding to spend money now (short-term) for immediate comforts or investing it for future gains (long-term) is a classic short-term vs long-term dilemma.

16. Career Advancement You may face the dilemma of taking an appealing job now versus pursuing education or training that may open better opportunities in the long run.

17. Environmental Considerations A company might face a choice between using cheap, environmentally damaging production methods (short-term) or investing in sustainable practices that may bring future reputation boost and savings (long-term). 

18. Health Choices An individual may need to decide between enjoying unhealthy habits, like junk food or smoking, now versus considering the long-term health implications.

19. Business Growth Entrepreneurs confront this dilemma when deciding whether to reinvest earnings into the company for long-term growth or take more profits in the short term.

20. Public Policy Politicians often have to choose between pursuing policies with immediate benefits that voters will notice or focusing on the long-term, slower solutions like infrastructure development.

21. Technology Upgrades A company might have to decide between sticking to older, cheaper technology now or investing in a costly, cutting-edge technology that promises improved efficiency and profitability in the future.

Justice vs Mercy

22. Leniency for First-Time Offenders A judge might choose to give a strict sentence to a first-time offender to uphold justice. Conversely, mercy would suggest a more lenient sentence or rehabilitation effort, given that it’s the offender’s first mistake.

23. Pardon of a Death Row Inmate A governor may face an ethical dilemma where they have to decide between granting a pardon to a remorseful death row inmate (mercy), and upholding the court’s decision to execute, based on the gravity of the crime committed (justice). 

24. Hate Crime Retribution A victim of a hate crime could be torn between wanting justice done – seeing the offenders punished to the full extent of the law – and showing mercy, hoping that education and awareness could change the offenders’ prejudices.

25. Academic Misconduct A professor who catches a student plagiarizing could provide a second chance, valuing mercy to allow for learning and growth, or they could issue immediate punishment (like failing the student) to uphold academic integrity and justice.

26. Role of Advisors in Financial Crisis Companies may seek to punish advisors implicated in a financial crisis to preserve justice, but showing mercy, reprimanding and educating them instead of outright firing, may be more constructive and prevent recurrence.

27. War Crimes Dilemma Post-war scenarios often involve a decision between seeking justice by prosecuting war criminals, or demonstrating mercy by forgiving and focusing on national healing and reconciliation.

28. Social Welfare Decisions Policymakers might struggle between enforcing strict eligibility criteria to ensure that only those truly deserving get social benefits (justice), versus being flexible in applying rules to avoid denying assistance to those in dire need (mercy).

Navigating an ethical or moral dilemma is no easy task, and often there is no clear right or wrong answer. Yet, understanding the principles and theories underlying ethical decision making can guide you in evaluating potential actions and their consequences (Ferrell, Fraedrich, & Ferrell, 2018). It should help in choosing the least harmful or most beneficial course of action.

Ferrell, O. C., Fraedrich, J., & Ferrell, L. (2018). Business ethics: Ethical decision making & cases (12th ed.). Boston: Cengage.

Barrett, C. (2018). Everyday ethics for practicing planners . London: Routledge.

Plaisance, P-L. (2017). Media Ethics: Key Principles for Responsible Practice (2nd ed.). Sage Publications.

Reynolds, G. (2014). Ethics in Information Technology (4th ed.). New York: Cengage Learning.

Chris Drew (PhD)

Dr. Chris Drew is the founder of the Helpful Professor. He holds a PhD in education and has published over 20 articles in scholarly journals. He is the former editor of the Journal of Learning Development in Higher Education. [Image Descriptor: Photo of Chris]

• Chris Drew (PhD) https://helpfulprofessor.com/author/chris-drew-phd/ 5 Top Tips for Succeeding at University
• Chris Drew (PhD) https://helpfulprofessor.com/author/chris-drew-phd/ 50 Durable Goods Examples
• Chris Drew (PhD) https://helpfulprofessor.com/author/chris-drew-phd/ 100 Consumer Goods Examples
• Chris Drew (PhD) https://helpfulprofessor.com/author/chris-drew-phd/ 30 Globalization Pros and Cons

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203 Ethical Dilemma Topics & Moral Issues

If you are searching for the most interesting ethical dilemma essay topics, welcome to our base! An ethical dilemma essay requires you to study difficult choices involving conflicting moral principles, personal values, and societal norms. Our ethical dilemma topics will guide you through medical ethics, business dilemmas, technology ethics, and more.

🤔 TOP 7 Ethical Debate Topics

🏆 best ethical dilemma essay topics, ⚖️ contemporary moral issues essay topics, 👍 catchy ethical dilemma essay examples, 🎓 interesting ethical dilemma essay ideas, 📌 easy ethical debate topics, 💧 personal ethical dilemma essay examples, 💡 simple ethical dilemma topics, ❓ more ethical debate research questions.

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• Blue Bell Ethical Dilemma Case The Blue Bell ethical case was challenging as the president faced difficult choices since the company was top-selling in the ice cream industry.
• The Trolley Problem Scenarios & Ethical Dilemmas When faced with trolley problem scenarios, one’s decision will be significantly influenced by the ethical theory of utilitarianism.
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• The Discussion and Solution of COVID-19 Ethical Dilemma The ethical issue during the COVID-19 pandemic is related to the duties of physicians and their rights, scarce resources management, and deficit of personal protective equipment.
• Organizational Ethical Dilemmas, as Portrayed in “Snowden” Edward Snowden is portrayed in the 2016 film Snowden as a victim of multiple ethical issues. The problem of the whistleblower is the ethical difficulty.
• An Ethical Dilemma of a Pregnant 16-Year-Old Girl The current ethical dilemma concerns a pregnant sixteen-year-old girl who is hesitant to tell her parents about her condition.
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• Ethical Dilemma of Reporting Teacher Misconduct A teacher faces an ethical dilemma of whether to report her colleague on her conduct in relation to a student who has a mental disability.
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• Helping Others: Examining an Ethical Dilemma If you approach anyone on the street and ask them if helping others is a good thing to do, the answer would most likely be “Yes.”
• “A Modest Proposal” by Jonathan Swift: Ethical Dilemma “A Modest Proposal” is a film that unveils the poverty situation in Ireland. The movie’s setting was at a time when the population was increasing at a higher rate than the economy.
• Bias and Ethical Decision-Making in AI Systems.
• Ethical Considerations in Gene Editing Technologies.
• Privacy in the Digital Age: Balancing Surveillance and Individual Rights.
• Environmental Ethics and Climate Change.
• The Ethics of Animal Rights: Balancing Human Interests and Animal Welfare.
• The Ethical Dilemmas in Medical Decision-Making: End-of-Life Care and Assisted Suicide.
• What Is the Ethical Use of Personal Information Online?
• Income Inequality and Social Justice: Addressing Moral Concerns in Wealth Distribution.
• The Ethics of Immigration and Border Control: How to Integrate Humanitarian Concerns in National Security?
• The Moral Implications of Capital Punishment.
• How to Balance Scientific Advancements in Biomedical Research and Human Subjects’ Rights?
• Cybersecurity and Ethical Hacking.
• How Would Drug Legalization Impact the Society?
• The Ethics of Human Cloning – What Are the Moral Dimensions?
• Ethical Dilemmas in Artificial Reproductive Technologies.
• The Morality of Euthanasia: Considering the Right to Die and Medical Ethics.
• The Ethical Implications of Genetic Testing and Privacy Concerns.
• Ethical Considerations in the LGBTQ+ Movement.
• Ethical Issues in Humanitarian Aid.
• Ethical Challenges in Big Data and Data Analytics: User Privacy and Data Security.
• The Morality of Cultural Appropriation: Respect for Cultural Traditions and Expression.
• The Ethics of Autonomous Vehicles: Moral Decision-Making in Self-Driving Cars.
• What Are the Ethical Dimensions of Reproductive Rights?
• The Ethics of Animal Testing in Cosmetic and Medical Research.
• Ethical Concerns in Artificial Womb Technology: The Future of Reproductive Ethics.
• An Ethical Dilemma in Education This paper explores an ethical dilemma with a situation that opening an opportunity to engage in unethical behavior to reap the benefits of passing a midterm exam.
• Circumcision Ethical Dilemma and Nurse’s Role in It Circumcision is regarded as a cultural, traditional, or medical indicator. As a rule, the expediency of circumcision causes the most heated discussions.
• Ethical Dilemma of Client Privacy Breach The case entails an ethical dilemma related to the appropriateness of a therapist’s breach of privacy and confidentiality when deciding the client’s best interest.
• The Boeing Firm’s Ethical Dilemma Regarding the Airbus-Neo The Boeing 737-MAX airplane model was revealed nine months after the Airbus-NEO design. After the sales of the new model, two planes crashed in 2018 and 2019.
• Ethical Dilemma: Euthanasia The present paper compares the Christian worldview to own worldview assumptions of euthanasia.
• Ethical Dilemmas in Education Ethical dilemmas in education occur in many cases; one of the most common reasons for their generation is injustice.
• Ethical Dilemma: Handling a Request for No Further Cancer Treatment Modern technologies can prolong a person’s life and interrupt it, and this is a person’s choice of which decision to make.
• Build & Imagine Company’s Ethical Dilemmas Apart from the need to maximize their profits, businesses face the need to be ethical. Build & Imagine, a toy-producing company, came across an ethical dilemma regarding their targeting.
• Ethical Dilemmas in Shakespeare’s “Hamlet” Hamlet is William Shakespeare’s tragedy play that was written in the late 14th century. The imagery in this play is both entertaining and creative.
• Ethical Dilemmas in Healthcare Ethics codes exist to ensure ethical decisions are made and properly discussed, but unpredictable situations can arise that require original action methodologies.
• Case: Evaluation of Ethical Dilemmas in Microsoft During Microsoft’s antitrust trial, Microsoft hired the Association for Competitive Technology to promote the new technology. Microsoft Corporation was the main financier of ACT.
• Ethical Dilemma in Palliative Care Nursing Modern changes necessitate the act of addressing ethical concerns that can match with the foundation of palliative medicine care practices.
• Solving Ethical Dilemmas The main principles of responsible behavior with children are reflected in The NAEYC Code of Ethical Conduct. It sets the ground for solving the essential ethical dilemmas.
• Abortion: An Ethical Dilemma There are many reasons as to why abortion poses an ethical dilemma for most women. Reasons such as religious beliefs, medical concerns are easily resolved by reason and need.
• BCBA Interview: Ethical Dilemmas and Cultural Challenges Identifying one’s biases towards other cultures and receiving training about handling a diverse client base may assist an ABA expert in becoming more culturally competent.
• Solving Ethical Dilemma of Discrimination This paper discusses one of the frequent ethical dilemmas in workplaces, which is discrimination, based on religion, gender, ethnicity, or nationality.
• Ethical Dilemma and Decision-Making Steps Social workers are often presented with ethical dilemmas in their duties that demand competence in the ethical decision-making processes.
• Ethical Dilemma: Case Study of Harry and Dora The situation presented in the case study between Harry and Dora is a classic scenario between the letter and the spirit of the law.
• Finding Solutions for Ethical Dilemma The ethical dilemma that Mr. Markham is currently facing is the necessity to choose between the two undesirable options.
• Ethical Dilemma of Privacy in Technology The paper argues legal and ethical implications of new technology necessitate new ethical guidelines regarding individuals’ privacy developments.
• Drug Release: Ethical Dilemma in Pharmaceutics A moral issue has emerged as to whether a pharmaceutical company has to release a new drug or not. This drug is thought to be an effective treatment of depression.
• Ethical Dilemmas in Nursing Practice: Dealing With HIV & AIDS Patients When one is faced with an ethical dilemma, making decisions between two conflicting options should be done with care.
• Ethical Dilemma: Justifying a Right to Die This essay presents a discourse on the ethical dilemma of whether there are circumstances that justify one to have a right to die.
• Ethical Dilemma: Consenting to Chemotherapy This paper explores the ethical dilemma of a minor child’s decision to undergo chemotherapy using the example of 17-year-old Kassandra.
• Ethical Dilemma of Worldwide Gender Equality One of the most significant issues in the context of the 21st century, however, is the ethical dilemma of worldwide gender equality.
• Ethical Dilemmas as an Integral Part of Business Ethical dilemmas are ubiquitous and knowing how to make favorable decisions is critical in the contemporary business environment.
• Analysis of the Situations Wherein Ethical Dilemma Is Encountered
• The Ethical Dilemma Surrounding the Second World War
• Ethical Dilemma Working With HIV Positive Client
• Analysis of the Ethical Dilemma of Forensic Psychiatric Expertise
• Ethical Dilemma and Medical Technology
• The Ethical Dilemma Associated With Vaccinations
• Inmates and Organ Transplants: An Ethical Dilemma
• Ethical Dilemma With the End of Life Decisions
• New Zealand’s Largest Ethical Dilemma
• Ethical Dilemma: Treatment and Jehovah’s Witnesses
• The Ethical Dilemma Faced by the Managers at the Law Firm
• Review of the Ethical Dilemma of Medical Institutions
• Money Over Mind: Ethical Dilemma in Schools
• Global Warming and Its Ethical Dilemma Assignment
• Personal Ethical Dilemma for Diverse Patients
• Ethical Dilemma Analysis: Consequentialist, Deontological, and Virtue Ethics Approach
• Review the Ethical Dilemma of Medical Errors
• Ethical Dilemma for Mental Health Professionals
• What Is the Ethical Dilemma of Forensic Psychologists?
• Ethical Dilemma Surrounding Nazi Human Experimentation
• Euthanasia as a Christian Ethical Dilemma The issue of euthanasia has been quite topical over the past few years. It is viewed as inadmissible from the Christian perspective.
• Medical Gatekeeping and Related Ethical Dilemmas This paper discusses the ethical dilemmas in gatekeeping in managed healthcare systems and the lessons learned when it is included in other domains.
• A Pig Heart Transplant for a Person: An Ethical Dilemma The David Bennett ethical dilemma resulted in a number of legal repercussions for the different groups of people that were involved in the xenotransplantation.
• Euthanasia as a Medical Ethical Dilemma The aim of the work is to analyze the ethical problem of medicine, such as euthanasia, and consider it as an example of a specific situation.
• Diversity at the Workplace: Ethical Dilemma Ethical dilemmas at the workplace involving racism must address the essence of diversity and God’s appreciation for the differences inherent amongst all people.
• Ethical Dilemmas, Kant’s Moral Theory, and Virtue Ethics Virtue ethics would not support the decision of breaking the contract on the grounds of loyalty. The concepts of holding to one’s word are at play here.
• Strategies to Cope with Ethical Dilemmas The navy can help individuals cope with ethical dilemmas they will encounter through cultural and historical training.
• Ethical Dilemmas in Software Engineering: Volkswagen Ethical Dilemma The Volkswagen controversy is a portrayal of how engineers have compromised the company, stakeholder satisfaction, and regulatory norms by engaging in unethical behavior.
• Ethical Dilemmas in Criminal Justice System It is appropriate to apply different penalties to people because of differences in age and prior offenses in the case at hand.
• Ethical Dilemma of Patient’s Disease Awareness The ethical dilemma in the case study may be defined as a conflict between a professional algorithm and an ambiguous request from the patient’s family members.
• Sexual Abuse: Researching of Ethical Dilemma The ethical dilemma chosen revolves around the social worker dealing with a situation involving a 21-year-old female client who her father had sexually molested.
• Ethical Dilemma: Autonomy and End-of-Life Care The idea of providing someone with high-quality care involves the concept of respect and acceptance of the patient’s wishes.
• Researching of Ethical Dilemma in the Company Policies Moral dilemma is defined as a situation where the person is faced with multiple choices, all of which are undesirable as defined by the person.
• Ethical Dilemma Within a Clinical Organization This essay discusses in detail one of the most pressing problems of the current agenda, namely patient confidentiality as an object of health care delivery.
• Lockdown Ethical Dilemma Lockdown measures are practiced in many regions. Whether lockdown is ethical is a matter of great concern, which has sparked great debate in most countries.
• Interpersonal Relations: One Cent Ethical Dilemma In the modern socio political environment, ethical guidelines might change over time. Therefore, it is vital to ensure that ethics training is relatable and based on current issues
• Medical Ethical Dilemmas at the End of Life The constitution prohibits anyone from taking his/her life. Society does not also allow people to commit suicide by any means.
• Current Ethical Dilemma: HIV and AIDS in Africa The New Hock Times newspaper published on May 14, 2010, was about the rising percentages of people suffering from Aids in South Africa.
• Ethical Dilemmas in Public Health The public health sector must acquaint itself with the ethical principles that govern the public sector as well as the complexities that surround them.
• Ethical Dilemma: Should Gene Editing be Performed on Human Embryos? The compelling relevance of a new gene-editing technique, CRISPR has elicited debates on the modification of human genomes to eliminate genes that cause certain disorders.
• Ethical Dilemma: Eight Key Questions (8KQ) Ethics is one of the core components of human society as it regulates relations between individuals and protects them from undesired outcomes.
• Ethical Dilemmas in Business: Plumpy’nut Controversy The paper is written against this background of business activities and ethical considerations. In this paper, a case study depicting a conventional ethical dilemma is illustrated.
• “Leadership Styles of Nurse Managers in Ethical Dilemmas” by Zydziunaite This paper is a critique of the article, “Leadership styles of nurse managers in ethical dilemmas: Reasons and consequences,” whose authors are Zydziunaite and Suominen.
• Eggs and Salmonella as Ethical Dilemma in Community Eggs and the threat to get sick because of salmonella bacteria should make people think about the outcomes of their decisions and the possibilities to overcome negative results.
• Colorado Alternative Products and the Ethical Dilemma Working capital management is an essential contributor to the company’s growth and profitability, and resolving an ethical dilemma needs a careful assessment of both alternatives.
• “Ethical Dilemmas in Nursing” by Rainer The ethical dilemmas that a nurse may face are varied, and understanding the core concepts behind them will help the nurse find solutions to these issues.
• A Decision to Report a Coworker’s Unethical Behavior at Work.
• Choosing Between Honesty and Protecting a Friend’s Secret.
• Deciding Whether to Speak up Against Discrimination or Harassment in the Workplace.
• An Ethical Dilemma Related to Academic Integrity and Cheating.
• A Conflict Between Personal Values and Professional Responsibilities.
• Balancing Family Obligations with Work Commitments.
• An Ethical Dilemma Concerning the Treatment of Animals and Animal Rights.
• Choosing Between Two Job Opportunities with Different Ethical Implications.
• A Decision about Whether to Donate a Substantial Portion of Income to Charity.
• A Personal Ethical Dilemma Related to Environmental Conservation and Sustainability.
• The Decision to Confront or Ignore a Friend’s Problematic Behavior.
• An Ethical Dilemma Involving Privacy and The Use of Social Media.
• Deciding Whether to Support a Controversial Political Movement.
• A Moral Dilemma Related to Medical Treatment Choices for Oneself or a Loved One.
• Choosing Between Personal Happiness and Societal Expectations.
• An Ethical Dilemma Concerning Cultural Appropriation and Respecting Other Cultures.
• Deciding Whether to Maintain a Friendship with Someone Who Holds Offensive Views.
• A Conflict Between Loyalty to Family and Individual Aspirations.
• Balancing the Need for Self-Care with Responsibilities to Others.
• An Ethical Dilemma Related to the Use of Personal Data by Technology Companies.
• Choosing Between the Truth and Protecting Someone from Getting Hurt.
• A Decision About Whether to Report a Crime Witnessed but Not Directly Involved in.
• A Personal Ethical Dilemma Involving a Financial Decision with Potential Consequences for Others.
• Deciding Whether to Intervene in a Situation of Bullying or Harassment.
• An Ethical Dilemma Related to the Disclosure of a Mental Health Condition in a Professional Setting.
• Choosing Between Personal Beliefs and Religious Expectations.
• A Conflict Between Personal Ambition and the Impact on Others.
• An Ethical Dilemma Involving the Use of Performance-Enhancing Drugs in Sports.
• Deciding Whether to Confront or Disengage from a Toxic Friendship or Relationship.
• A Personal Ethical Dilemma Related to the Treatment of Coworkers in a Leadership Position.
• Ethical Dilemma in Nursing An Ethical Nursing Practice is a decision-making challenge between two potential normative choices, neither of which is undoubtedly desirable to a nurse.
• Death With Dignity: Ethical Dilemma Brittany Maynard had an aggressive form of brain cancer, and to preserve her control over her life, she decided to move to the state that authorized the Death with Dignity Act.
• Ethical Dilemma: Regained Custody Through Legal Action The dilemma discussed in the present paper deals with a married couple addicted to drugs in the past and rehabilitated later.
• Oil Extraction as an Ethical Dilemma Nowadays, oil extraction and exportation has become a significant factor for the wealth of the world community and the economic situation of a particular petroleum-exporting nation.
• Nazi March Permission: The Ethical Dilemma The decision to deny the Nazis permission was informed by three key arguments. The Nazis do not deserve the permit to march in a particular neighborhood.
• Harry Truman’s Ethical Dilemma in Dropping the Second Atom Bomb on Japan The aim of Truman dropping the second bomb on Japan was to show them the need to surrender from fighting because if they did not stop they will face more deaths and suffering.
• Sale of Human Organs in the U.S: Ethical and Legal Dilemmas This essay examines the pros and cons of the issue of sale of human organs in the US through the legal, ethical, moral prisms and its interaction with individual freedoms to finally affirm the case for the motion.
• Ethical Principles as Applied to an Ethical Dilemma (Medication Compliance) The paper discusses the four principles of nursing profession: the principle of beneficence, the principle of nonmaleficence, the principle of justice, and the principle of respect for autonomy.
• Ethical Dilemma: How to Make a Right Decision in Nursing? The ability to make the right decisions is a crucial component of the work of specialists in different conditions, including caring for distinctive categories of the population.
• Oncology and Ethical Dilemma Treatment of malignant tumors carried out most often with the use of physically and mentally traumatic means puts different ethical tasks before the doctor.
• Ethical Dilemma of Circumcision: Nurse’s Role This paper discusses what is the role of the nurse in relations to an ethical dilemma involving circumcision, and is this a medical right or a human rights issue.
• Circumcision: Ethical Dilemma and Human Rights Circumcision is a complex phenomenon that can result in ethical dilemmas. To put it simply, circumcision consists of surgical operations on female and male genitals.
• Ethical Dilemma in Facing Death Situations The purpose of this essay is to answer the question: what is ethical in the situation where numerous people are facing death?
• Social Worker’s Ethical Dilemma of Confidentiality The patient’s family face communication difficulties after her brain injury. The social worker has no rights to talk about the patient’s case even to her relatives.
• Daily Ethical Dilemmas in Nursing Practice At some points in their careers, nurses may face serious ethical dilemmas in which there is a threat to them of losing their jobs or harming their patients.
• Ethical Dilemma Resolving: Dividing Ownership Shares Ethical issues are a common challenge related to entrepreneurial practice. This paper will address one of these problems – dividing ownership shares.
• The Ethical Dilemma With the Transplant Utilitarian and deontological approaches are similar in that they are both used for determining what actions of a human being are either right or wrong.
• BP Company: Environmental-Based Ethical Dilemma In the last five years, the infamous deepwater horizon oil spill has generated heated debate across the globe on the sustainability of oil mining activities of the BP Company and other competitors.
• Nursing Challenges: Inexperience and Ethical Dilemmas To be a professional nurse means to face numerous challenges that arise from the nature of the given occupation.
• Ethical Dilemmas and Religious Beliefs in Healthcare For a patient, a blood transfusion is prescribed as emergent treatment. His parents do not accept the suggested treatment. So the ethical dilemma appears.
• Employee Conflicts Resolution and Ethical Dilemmas Any workplace is an environment in which many people have to interact with each other; as a result, there is a possibility of conflicts between employees.
• Medical Intervention: Ethical, Legal, and Moral Dilemmas The main ethical task of a nurse who knows about the patient’s plans to commit suicide is to prevent the realization of the client’s intentions.
• Ethical, Legal, and Moral Dilemmas in Nursing The nurse may be faced with challenge of deciding whether to respect the autonomy of patient or report to relevant authorities about the intention of patient to end own life.
• Ethical, Legal, Moral Dilemmas of Terminal Illness The moral behavior of nurses has often been described as grounded in commitment to, and receptivity for, the experience of patients, and directed towards alleviating suffering.
• Applying Ethical Frameworks: Solution of the Ethical Dilemma and Its Justification This paper attempt to provide a solution to the case study involving a work-based ethical dilemma and the justifications involved in coming up with the proposed solution.
• What Are the Sources of the Factors Which Created the Ethical Dilemma?
• How Do You Handle an Ethical Dilemma?
• What Is the Most Common Ethical Dilemma?
• How Do Ethical Dilemmas Arise and How Can They Be Solved?
• Why Is an Ethical Dilemma a Challenge in Decision-Making?
• What Causes an Ethical Dilemma in Conducting Business?
• Why Is It Important to Respond to Ethical Dilemmas?
• Is Cloning Animals Ethical Debate?
• How Do Ethical Dilemmas Arise in Healthcare?
• What Is the Impact of Ethical Dilemma?
• How to Handle Ethical Dilemmas in the Workplace?
• What Are the Characteristics of an Ethical Dilemma?
• Are There Approaches to Solving Ethical Dilemmas?
• What Are Different Types of Ethical Dilemmas That Could Occur in the Workplace?
• Is Time Management an Ethical Dilemma?
• What Are the Main Steps for Solving an Ethical Dilemma?
• How Are Ethical Debates Structured?
• What Is an Environmental Ethical Dilemma?
• Are There Ethical Debates of Cloning Today?
• What Are Some Key Ethical Dilemmas Facing Healthcare Leaders in Today’s Environment?
• How Has the Ethical Debate About Assisted Suicide Changed Over Time?
• What Are the Situations in Which an Accountant Might Face a Moral or Ethical Dilemma?
• How Does Same-Sex Marriage Ethical Debate Affect Society?
• Why Is Ethical Debate Important for Society?
• Has Ethical Debate on Face Transplantation Evolved Over Time?

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Ethical Dilemmas, Essay Example

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An ethical dilemma presents challenges in decision making between two plausible options; however, neither of the alternatives is acceptable from an ethical or moral perspective (Rae, 2018). A person can neither chose one option or the other as neither of them seems to be right. In some cases, they are known as moral paradoxes and can be viewed as limitations in our ability to make an ethical decision based on rational thinking. Based on Aristotle’s principle of Eudaemonia, which is based on the expectation that people should live well, and do well in the affairs of the world (Cohen, 2003, 124). And in the pursuit of Eudaemonia, people usually meet ethical dilemmas. According to Aristotle, doing good involves a teleological system that involves actions. Therefore, doing good must involve action; one cannot simply opt out of a situation; thus, people are met with ethical dilemmas where they have to act to do good. However, they are presented with a situation wherein choosing one option, they must transgress the other option, and neither of the options seems right. Based on Eudaemonia’s principle, most people will always attempt to do what is ethical and morally correct. Still, some situations are complicated, and the outcomes might not be ethical (Cohen, 2003, 124). However, as Aristotle noted, doing good must involve action; as such, people feel that they have to do something to solve an ethical dilemma.

An example of an ethical dilemma is the trolley car thought experiment. This thought experiment is divided into two sections. The first section involves a person driving a trolley car downhill, and as they are driving, they notice five children playing on the road—who are oblivious of the situation. They, in turn, try frantically to hit the brakes and stop the trolley car, but breaks do not work. As they are panicking, they notice a side path with one child playing on the road—also oblivious to the situation. It suddenly occurs to the driver that they can turn the trolley car to the side lane, kill the one child, but in turn, save the five children (Jordan, 2019). Based on the circumstances at the time, it seems to be the most ethical decision to make. However, considerations should be made that the one child that the driver is choosing to kill, has not consented to die so that the five could live—the driver is making that decision for them. Now, the moral question is, is it ethical for the driver to decide who gets to die, and who does not? The one-child playing on the side lane has as much right to life as the five on the major road. Therefore it still does not make it morally correct for the driver to kill one and save the five. On the flip side of it, it would seem more wrong to kill the five, when the driver had the chance of killing just one. And so many people would argue that the driver is right to kill one and save five; that it is better to kill one to save five.

However, this argument flops when the second part of the thought experiment is considered. In the second part, the person who is deciding is just a bystander. They are on a bridge, and below the bridge, there is a trolley car speeding down a slope. Down the slope, five children are playing on the road—oblivious of the situation. The driver of the trolley car seems to do their best to try to stop it, but again the breaks don’t work, and there is no side lane as in the first case; the trolley will crash on to the five children, killing them instantly (Jordan, 2019). It is not ethical for the person to simply shrug their shoulders and leave it to fate. Morality mandates us to attempt to save the children, at whatever cost. No reasonable person would simply ignore the situation. As such, the bystander tries their best to think of the best way to save the five children. Then it occurs to them that standing next to them is an obese man, who is leaning on the rails curious about the situation as well. A thought comes to their mind that, they can push the fat man just a little (hoping not to seem intentional, and void of any ill motives), he, on the other hand, would fall on the road, block the trolley car that was fast-moving down the slope without any breaks, and save the five children. At this point, we are assured of two things, one, that the fat man will die, and the other, the five children will be saved (Jordan, 2019).

It should be noted that similar to the first case, the fat man does not consent to die to save the five children. Is it ethical for the bystander to push the fat man and decide that he should die so that the five children could live? Most people would argue that it was wrong for the bystander to push the fat man to save the five children.

The second part of the thought experiment’s problem is that the principle used to justify the driver killing one child to save the five has not been faulted. Most people would not ascribe to the idea of killing the fat man to save the five children. The problem is that one person is being killed under two different circumstances, but the motive is the same, to save the five children. The ethical question to ask is, is morality or ethics circumstantial? Does it merely depend on the situation? According to Sarkissian (2016), morality is not absolute—any ethical principle is based on the situation being applied. In the trolley car thought experiment, the driver in the first case felt it was right to turn the trolley to the side lane, kill the one child on it and save the five on the main lane who are oblivious of the situation. And most people would agree with him that it is morally correct to kill one person to save five. That principle is based on the Value Theory, which asserts that the alternative that offers the greater good, and lesser evil, should be chosen. In the first experiment, the driver chose the greater good (to save the five children), and lesser evil (he only had to kill one child). But this theory does not work for the second part, even though the bystander saved five (the greater good), and chose lesser evil (killed the fat man). In both cases, the driver and the bystander are trying to be good, based on the same Principe, but one seems to be more wrong than the other. However, both situations leave the decision-maker in a dilemma, since none of the options ascribes to the morally acceptable ethical standards.

The first part that most people see as a better alternative is based on utilitarianism’s theory, which was proposed by Jeremy Bentham and John Stuart Mill. This theory holds that the most ethical decision is one that produces the greatest good for the most significant number (Mill, 2016). Not the one that makes you feel right. This presents a challenge to ethical decision making. Should moral and ethical decision be made based on ethical and moral principles or how a person feel? The utilitarian theory was the one that was used to justify world war one and war two. In the Bible, Jesus Christ is crucified on the cross to save the lives of humanity from eternal damnation (Keller, 2019). The argument is the same, the highest good for the most significant number of people—kill one to save five. However, it is impossible to predict the futures; it is difficult to estimate or predict the expected good of an outcome based on the decision made.

Let’s, for instance, let’s consider that the child who died in the first cases would have become a skilled doctor who saved millions of lives. Would the driver have considered killing that child if they had known this? Let’s complicate it a little. What if the five children would have all been serial killers and lead to the death of many of the people? If the driver knew this, surely his decision would have been different. But unfortunately, no one can predict future occurrences, and the Utilitarian theory fails to justify morality in decision making. Therefore it can be argued that there is no ethical ruler, which we can use to justify our decision making. As tricky as some situations can be, we will always be faced with a hard decision to make, since we will either benefit or violate the other. For example, if a person visits a game park and witnesses a lion hunting a baby gazelle who is frantically trying to flee, will it morally correct to intervene and save the baby’s gazelle from the hungry lion? Considering that the lion is also hunting to feed his little curbs, the action of intervening to save the baby gazelle would end up killing the lion curbs (they will starve to death if they do not have something to eat). So, it is right or wrong. Just like in the two trolley cases, the act of interfering presents the person with an ethical dilemma, which is not easy to solve. Even in business, most business people lie to make more profit, and the main aim of a business is to maximize profits—are they justified to lie, if it is just business. More so, we all know that killing is wrong, but when a person tries to kill you, and kill them first to defend yourself, it is still wrong. Morality is relative, and based on the current circumstances—it is not absolute and cannot be used to justify all decisions as a standard rule.

In summary, ethical dilemmas are hard to solve using a standard moral rule. This is because they present situations where one is doomed when they act or choose not to act. And to be good, Aristotle asserts that they have to act. And in the principle of Eudaemonia, have a moral obligation to be good, and as such, would feel coerced to act even in ethical dilemmas. In the trolley car experiment, it seemed right to kill the one child on the side lane and save the five on the main road. However, in the second part of the thought experiment, it seemed wrong to kill the fat man and save the five. This shows the complexity of ethical dilemmas that cannot be simply solved using the universal utilitarian theory that supports the decisions with the greatest good for the greatest number of people. The problem with this theory is that it is hard to predict the expected good from the decision made. Therefore, morality is relative, and each case should be dealt with individually—there is no absolute right or wrong.

Works Cited

Cohen, Hermann. Ethics of Maimonides . Univ of Wisconsin Press, 2003.

Jordan, Michael. “Ethics & Uncertainty.” Philosophy Now , vol. 132, 2019, pp. 28–29.

Keller, Rich. Salvation And The Inseparability Of The Person And Work Of Christ . 2019.

Mill, John Stuart. “Utilitarianism.” Seven Masterpieces of Philosophy , Routledge, 2016, pp. 337–83.

Rae, Scott. Moral Choices: An Introduction to Ethics . Zondervan Academic, 2018.

Sarkissian, Hagop. Aspects of Folk Morality: Objectivism and Relativism . Wiley Online Library, 2016.

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180 Ethics Topics & Ethical Questions to Debate

Our code of ethics is derived from what we think is right or wrong. On top of that, we have to agree to the moral standards established by the society we live in. Conventional norms generally label theft, murder, or harassment as bad. However, there are many influences that impact our considerations and understanding of ethics.

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Ethics is a branch of philosophy that studies moral issues. This article outlines the three different types of ethics and presents a list of compelling ethics topics for essays and research papers, as well as ethical questions to debate.

You don’t know how to write about ethics or which ethical argument topic to choose for your paper? Maybe your assignment deadline is dreadfully looming over you? Our custom writing service is happy to help you craft a fantastic essay on ethics whenever the need arises.

🔝 Top 10 Ethical Topics

• 🧑🤝🧑Types of Ethics
• 🤔 Ethical Issues
• 🖥️ Computer Ethics
• 🧬 Bioethics
• 🚓👮 Criminal Justice
• ⚖️ Ethical Dilemmas

⭐ Top 10 Ethics Topics to Debate

😈 ethical questions to debate, 🔍 references.

• Religious beliefs vs. medical care
• Issues behind unpaid internships
• Toxic environment at the workplace
• The dilemma of reporting an accident
• Should one’s political leanings be private?
• The limits of doctor-patient confidentiality
• Is it ethical to pay children for good grades?
• Ethics at the workplace and discrimination
• Should social media be allowed at the workplace?
• Promotion of environmental responsibility in business

🧑🤝🧑 Types of Ethics

Modern philosophy splits ethics into three groups: metaethics, normative ethics, and applied ethics.

• The core question of metaethics is: “What is morality, and where does it come from?” It is also concerned with the emergence of human values, motivation, and reasoning.
• Normative ethics seeks to answer the question, “How should I act?” An example of a normative moral theory is Kant’s Categorical Imperative: Act only according to that maxim whereby you can, at the same time, will that it should become a universal law . In other words: be kind.
• Applied ethics seeks to apply moral considerations into real-life controversial subjects. Its contents can vary greatly and touch bioethics as well as criminal justice. It studies specific actions and practices from the point of moral acceptance.

However, ethics does not end with these three types. Over the centuries, philosophers have proposed various ethical theories. Their four general categories are deontological, utilitarian, right, and virtue ethics.

• A deontologist is a person with a set of moral duties from which they will not adhere. When faced with an ethical conflict, they will always act according to their self-proclaimed obligations.
• For a utilitarian , a decision needs to yield the greatest benefit for the majority.
• If rights are the root of an ethical theory, these are the highest priority. A person’s rights can either be established in a society by law or bestowed from one individual upon another.
• Judging someone by virtue means considering a person’s character rather than their actions. Here, an individual’s reputation, motivation, and ethics play a crucial role.

Now that you know the basics, you have the perfect ground to start your ethics essay.

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🤔 Ethical Topics for an Essay

Ethical issues are situations in which an individual needs to evaluate which course of action is morally right. Essays on this topic shine a light on difficult questions. Therefore, students need to defend their position convincingly.

• Discuss what we should do about climate change . 
• What are the moral problems surrounding abortion ? 
• Can we still justify eating meat? 
• Investigate the use of plastic in the beauty industry. 
• Is it unethical to be extremely rich? 
• Should you buy Nestlé products despite the fact that the company privatizes water? 
• Is the unequal distribution of wealth unethical? 
• Discuss how workplace ethics should take sexism into account. 
• What can we do to combat racism ? 
• Why are LGBT + people discriminated against? 
• Should euthanasia be legal? 
• Can war be ethical? 
• Should schools punish students for attending the Fridays for Future protests? 
• Would drug use be unethical if it were legal? 
• Explain the moral problems that come with automating jobs . 

• Is it ethical to hire someone to do assignments for you? 
• How far should everyone’s right to privacy go? 
• Is using animals for scientific testing unethical? 
• How should governments deal with refugees ? 
• Discuss the carbon impact of having children. 
• Can modern societies still be held accountable for what their nation did in the past? 
• Analyze the benefits and disadvantages of universal income . 
• How much control should the state have on the press? 
• Should schools teach religion ? 
• What are ethical concerns regarding downloading media from the internet? 

🖥️ Computer Ethics Essay Topics

The advent of information technology has altered every aspect of our lives. Computer ethics applies traditional moral theories to everything surrounding computers and cyber security. The list below contains enthralling ethical topics concerned with the realm of computing.

• How much work should we leave entirely to computers? 
• Discuss the dangers of storing vulnerable data online. 
• Are computers secure enough to contain so much information about our lives? 
• Discuss if hacking can be morally justified. 
• Examine privacy-related concerns regarding computers . 
• Should all software be free? 
• How can you legitimize the possession of a computer algorithm patent? 
• What can be done to prevent cyberbullying ? 
• Investigate the moral effects anonymity has on internet users. 
• Whose laws apply if you wish to protect your rights online? 
• Discuss how the necessity to own a computer impacts poorer nations and people. 
• Which ethical problems can people face due to the internet’s possibilities? 
• When is sabotaging another person’s computer justified? 
• Analyze the social responsibility that comes with developing new software. 
• Are computer crimes less harmful than crimes against humans? 
• Who owns information that is distributed online? 
• What is more important: easy accessibility or privacy? 
• Investigate the moral problems associated with AI . 
• If a computer makes a critical mistake, whose fault is it? 
• Discuss the importance of netiquette. 
• How should tech companies deal with ethical problems? 
• Can AI algorithms ensure ethical behavior? 
• Why do tech companies need ethics boards? 
• Which ethical conflicts appear when using drones ? 
• Investigate racial bias in facial recognition systems. 

🏅 Sports Ethics Topics for a Paper

Morality in sports is based on integrity, respect, responsibility, and fairness. Often, this puts athletes into a dilemma: do I want to be ethical, or do I want to win? Answering these questions is not always easy. The following list compiles sports topics for a research paper on ethics.

• What are moral complications when using enhancement drugs? 
• Is gamesmanship unethical? 
• How important is ethics in sports? 
• Discuss the moral responsibilities of athletes . 
• What are ethical reasons to pay college athletes ? 
• Investigate the ethical implications of kneeling for the national anthem . 
• Can college sports and the principles of higher education go hand in hand? 
• Investigate the sexist bias in sports. 
• Was it selfish when the American female soccer team went to court to demand equal pay? 

• What moral obligations do universities have towards their athletes? 
• When can you justify cheating ? 
• Concerning the environment, how can professional sports events be ethical? 
• Which ethical issues do healthcare workers have concerning sportspeople? 
• Which moral duties do teams’ coaches have? 
• Are the extremely high salaries of sports professionals justified? 
• In 2003, the Olympics abolished the wild card system. Was that fair? 
• Because of the Paralympics, disabled athletes cannot take part in the real Olympics. Is that discriminatory? 
• Discuss how money influences the fairness of a sport. 
• Debate if and how children are exploited to become elite athletes. 
• Which moral duties should a good sport follow? 
• How much should parents get involved in their child’s physical education ? 
• Investigate if everyday codes of ethics should apply to sports. 
• Discuss the ethical implications of motorsports. 
• Who is responsible if a player gets injured? 
• Are referees always fair? 

🧬 Bioethics Topics for an Essay

Bioethics comes into play when we talk about life and health. It expands from genetics to neurology and even plastic surgery. In the name of the common good, researchers often find themselves in conflicting positions. This makes bioethics an especially exciting topic to write about.

• Discuss the moral conflicts of genetic engineering . 
• What are the ethical responsibilities associated with using CRISPR ? 
• Investigate the problems of stem cell research . 
• When can humans be used for drug testing ? 
• Should vaccinations be mandatory for everyone? 
• Investigate the ethics that apply to a medical worker. 
• Discuss the harmful effects of plastic surgery . 
• Should a person who is brain dead be kept alive? 
• Is it just that medical care is linked to an individual’s ability to pay? 
• Should everyone be an organ donor by default? 
• What is more important: a person’s right to privacy or the information of at-risk relatives? 
• Is prenatal invasive testing ethical? 
• Should neuroenhancement drugs be legal? 
• Discuss ethical conflicts concerning Disclosure and Barring Service. 
• Is it ethical to improve memory functions with brain stimulation ? 
• Analyze the ethical issues concerning precision medicine. 
• What are the problems of surrogacy ? 
• Should medical personnel collect healthy tissues of a deceased person without their consent? 

• What should be done with the child of a brain-dead pregnant woman? 
• How important is a subject’s anonymity during research? 
• Discuss the ethics of shared decision-making . 
• How much responsibility do mentally challenged people carry for their actions? 
• Was Sweden right not to impose strict lockdown rules during the COVID-19 pandemic? 
• To what extent are businesses responsible for their employees’ health? 
• Should universal healthcare be free? 

🚓👮 Criminal Justice Ethics Topics to Write About

Law enforcers should always act ethically. Unfortunately, it is not always the case. Police officers and attorneys often end up in morally ambiguous situations. In many cases, they don’t do what the public deems the right thing. Below are the examples of criminal justice ethics topics.

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• When is it legitimate for a police officer to use violence? 
• How can an officer remain impartial? 
• Should law enforcement visibly wear guns in public? 
• How much force is too much? 
• Investigate possible ethical implications associated with true crime podcasts. 
• Should prostitution be legal in the US? 
• How ethical is interrogation ? 
• Can torture be justified? 
• Discuss the ethical consequences of lying when working in criminal justice . 
• Is working undercover deception? 
• Debate whether it is an American citizen’s moral duty to participate in jury duty. 
• Should the police be allowed to access everyone’s data? 
• Discuss the moral complications of “innocent until proven guilty.” 
• Should convicted pedophiles be allowed to see their children? 
• Can teaching ethics at schools prevent crime? 
• Analyze ethical problems of the Stanford Prison Experiment . 
• Should NATO have become involved in America’s Afghan war ? 
• What are the ethical implications of shooter drills at school? 
• Was Edward Snowden morally in the wrong? 
• How should we deal with child soldiers ? 
• Discuss if the prosecution of Julian Assange is justified. 
• Examine the ethical problems of private prisons . 
• What moral obligations should someone consider when granting prisoners the right to work? 
• When is capital punishment justified? 
• Is it ethical to incarcerate juvenile offenders ? 

⚖️ Ethical Dilemma Topics to Write About

An ethical issue becomes a dilemma when different moral standards clash with each other. In this situation, it is impossible to find a path to an ethically permissible solution that is unambiguous. The following sample topics are a solid base to start a discussion on morals.

• Should parents watch over what their children do on the internet? 
• Would you report an accident you caused if there are no witnesses? 
• What should a doctor do if a patient refuses life-saving treatment for religious reasons? 
• Should you turn down a client if their political views do not match yours? 
• Would you promote something you are not convinced of to get money? 
• Should you lie to land a job that gets you out of poverty? 

• Your partner cheated on you. Now, you get the chance to take your revenge with someone you really like. Would you do it? 
• Should students use automated writing tools like free thesis generators , summarizers, and paraphrasers? 
• Your teacher is continuously mocking your classmate. You are a teacher’s pet. Would you speak up? 
• Your son likes to wear dresses. One day, he asks if he can wear one to school. Will you let him? 
• You are very religious. Your daughter wants to get married to another woman and invites you to her wedding. What will you do? 
• Prenatal testing showed that your unborn child has a disability. Would you terminate pregnancy? 
• You are in a long-term relationship. Suddenly, your partner gets a job offer in another part of the world. What would you do? 
• You have a terminal illness . This makes you a financial burden to your relatives. Are you obliged towards them to quit your treatment? 
• You have a red and a blue candy bar. Blue is your favorite, but you also know that it’s your friend’s favorite. Will you give it to them? 
• A friend asked you for a loan. Since then, they have not given you anything back. They are still not wholly stable financially. Will you ask them to return the money? 
• Your grandma passed away and bequeathed her favorite mink coat to you. You are a vegan. What do you do? 
• A few years ago, you borrowed a gun from a friend. Now, they ask for it back, but their mental state seems to be rapidly deteriorating. This makes you scared they are going to shoot someone, or themselves. What do you do? 
• You find out that your friend cheats on their spouse. You are close friends with their family. Will you tell on them? 
• For your birthday, your friend gave you a sweater they’ve made themselves. You think it’s ugly. Do you tell them? 
• You are a vegan . Should you buy vegan products which are highly problematic to produce? 
• You are in a restaurant. Your order arrives too late. The waitress looks stressed. Will you make her take it back? 
• You went to the store and bought a new, expensive item. The clerk gives you too much change. Do you give it back? 
• You are walking with a friend and find $50 on the floor. Would you share it with them? 
• Your child firmly believes in Santa Claus. One Christmas , they start suspecting that he is not real. What do you do? 
• Is having pets ethical?
• Can eating meat be justified?
• Should we defund the police?
• Should atomic bombs be banned?
• Can discrimination be justified?
• Is it ethical to ask someone’s age?
• Should children get paid for chores?
• Is it unprofessional to send voice messages?
• Should children be allowed to vote?
• Should influencers promote products they don’t use?
• Should there be any limitations to doctor and patient confidentiality?
• Should physician-assisted suicide be allowed?
• Can teenagers get plastic surgery?
• What to do when you find out that your relative has committed an offense?
• What to do when you see your friend cheating on the exam?
• Should sportsmen be paid more than teachers?
• Should gender quotas be used during parliamentary elections?
• Do companies have the right to collect information about their customers?
• Can politicians appeal to religious issues during electoral campaigns?
• Should fake news be censored in a democratic society?

We hope that in this list you’ve found the ethics topic that fits you the best. Good luck with your assignment!

Further reading:

• 430 Philosophy Topics & Questions for Your Essay
• 226 Research Topics on Criminal Justice & Criminology
• 512 Research Topics on HumSS (Humanities & Social Sciences)
• 204 Research Topics on Technology & Computer Science
• What’s the Difference Between Morality and Ethics?: Britannica
• What is Ethics?: Santa Clara University
• Ethics: Internet Encyclopedia of Philosophy
• Metaethics: Stanford Encyclopedia of Philosophy
• Ethical Issues: Idaho State University
• The Problem with AI Ethics: The Verge
• Sports Ethics: Santa Clara University
• What Is Bioethics?: Michigan State University
• Ethics in Criminal Justice: Campbellsville University
• Kant’s Formula of Universal Law: Harvard University
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Home — Essay Samples — Philosophy — Ethical Dilemma — The Trolley Problem: An Ethical Dilemma

The Trolley Problem: an Ethical Dilemma

• Categories: Ethical Dilemma

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Published: Jan 31, 2024

Words: 914 | Pages: 2 | 5 min read

Table of contents

Overview of the trolley problem, case 1: the fat man, case 2: the switch, comparison and contrast of the two cases, personal perspective and conclusion.

• Greene, J. D. (2014). Beyond Point-and-Shoot Morality: Why Cognitive (Neuro) Science Matters for Ethics, Ethics, and the Brain, J. Illes and B.J. Sahakian (eds.). Oxford University Press, 151-170.
• Thomson, J. J. (1985). The trolley problem. Yale Law Journal, 94(6), 1395-1415.
• Johnson, R. E., & Cureton, A. (2015). Contemporary debates in applied ethics. John Wiley & Sons.

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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.

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.

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.

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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Ethical Dilemmas Essay

Type of paper: Essay

Topic: Nursing , Ethics , Information , Breastfeeding , Dilemma , Human , Participant , Ethical Dilemma

Words: 1700

Published: 02/20/2023

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Lo (2012) defines ethical dilemmas as situations that cannot be resolved using a satisfactory answer. The solution of an ethical dilemma varies depending on the situation, and the philosophy to which the affected individuals subscribe. Ethical dilemmas are a common occurrence in the nursing field. The profession not only requires the professional interaction between nurses and the patients in delivering efficient care, but also demands extensive knowledge in maintain boundaries during these interactions. The growing cultural diversity implies the interaction of nurses with patients from a variety of backgrounds, bearing varying beliefs and customs that have the potential to impact healthcare services. Ethical dilemmas affect nursing in a variety of ways, including lack of satisfaction by the nurses and the patients, and inefficiency delivering care services. This paper will explore 8 healthcare journals regarding ethical dilemmas in nursing, with the aim of better understanding the dynamics of ethical dilemmas and their impact on nursing.

Ethical Dilemma: Determinants of Surrogate Decision-maker Confidence

Common ethical dilemmas experienced in practice by the nurses can be categorized into 5 categories; Prochoice versus prolife, freedom versus control, truth-telling versus deception, distribution of resources, and empirical knowledge versus personal belief (Lo, 2012). Resolution of these dilemmas is determined by a variety of factors, including morals, social beliefs, empirical knowledge, and the specific situation from which the dilemma arises. Also, resolution of nursing ethical dilemmas is guided and informed by tools such as the Code of Ethics for Nurses, and the core concepts of the nursing profession (autonomy, beneficence, no malificence, and justice) (Lo, 2012). One area that continues to arouse differences in the nursing field is research. Research is defined as the systematic investigation of materials and sources, with the sole purpose of establishing facts and reaching new conclusions. In nursing, research is essential, as it facilitates the development and implementation of innovative ideas meant to enhance efficiency and quality of nursing care. However, research may sometimes require participation of human subjects, and such participation may actually pose a risk to the wellbeing of the participants. Research is one of the major sources for ethical dilemmas, as its importance and benefits contradict with the possible harms. In addition, getting participants into a research study is a challenging task for researchers. An article by Bolcic-Jankovic et al. (2014) that sought to explore the determinants of surrogate decision-maker confidence from ICU patients revealed that surrogates are less likely to agree to participation than the patients. Advances in the medical and nursing fields have to undergo thorough testing before they are certified as fit for use in patients. However, to achieve the level of acceptance required, the advancements must be tested using the relevant population that intends to utilize it, such as the patients in the ICU. Unfortunately, such patients may not be in a position to give their informed consent regarding participation, and permission can only be sought from surrogates. Patients in the ICU are mostly incapacitated, and cannot make such decisions, facilitating the role of a surrogate. However, the representation of patients by surrogates arouses moral issues, such as the extent to which a surrogate is will represent the needs of the patient. The study by Bolcic-Jankovic et al. (2014) shows that patients in the ICU are more likely to participate in research if they represent themselves, compared to when they are represented by surrogates. This indicates a sharp disparity in the representation of patients’ needs by surrogates. With the advent of technology physicians and other healthcare practitioners are using the internet and social platform forums to exchange information regarding health. The information shared by a patient on such platforms is available to the public, hence, subject to use by third parties (Saunder, Kitzinger & Kitzinger, 2015). This raises an ethical dilemma as to how such information should be used, if it should at all be used, in research. Participants should provide their informed consent before engaging in research studies. However, users of information from the internet may not seek informed consent of the owner of the information. The article by Bond et al. (2013) explored the views of different participants on the use of information available on the internet. While some felt that the information is in the public domain and can be used by others without consent, others felt that regardless of the availability of the information online, they should maintain control over own information. A study by Manzar et al. (2013) shows that embryonic stem cell research is another source of ethical dilemmas in nursing. Stem cell research involves the derivation of stem cells from embryos. Stem cell research offers the medical realm with hope for finding treatments for some of the most complex diseases. However, the derivation of stem cells for research implies destruction of potential human life. The ethical dilemmas surrounding use of stem cells for research revolve around alleviating suffering and protecting human life (Manzar et al., 2013). Another ethical dilemma that researchers have to contend with is the unintended consequences. Medical research that involves human participants has the potential for unintended outcomes, such as adverse events. Narayanasamy (2015) observed that while research is important for alleviating the suffering of those that will benefit from the findings of a research, it also puts at risk the lives of the participants, regardless of measures taken to avoid such outcomes. A participant has a right to his/her own information used for a research. The participant may choose to share this information with family members, and this presents an ethical dilemma to the researcher. While the participant has the right to information, the researcher is mandated to protect the privacy of the participants (Kaye, 2012). Similarly, destruction of research data elicits ethical dilemma in the research arenas. For example, a participant who wishes to drop out of a research may demand destruction of his/her data. However, as the destruction might lead to the loss of other vital data for the research. According to Witt and Witt (2016), the researcher is in a dilemma whether to ruin a research study as a result of one participant, or to uphold the autonomous right of the participant and destroy the data. Use of pseudonyms during research is an important factor to consider in maintaining the anonymity of the participants. However, some participants may not prefer use of pseudonyms in the research, consequently jeopardizing the anonymity of participant. As Saunder, Kitzinger and Kitzinger (2015) observed, researchers are in dilemma whether to protect the privacy and anonymity of participants, or to respect the wishes of the participants.

Bioethical Principles

The two major bioethics principles that relate to ethical dilemmas in nursing research include nonmaleficence and beneficence. Butts and Rich (2015) defines nonmaleficence as a principle that requires caregivers to do no harm to their patients, and beneficence as a principle that requires practitioners to only take actions that facilitate the wellbeing of their patients. Research in nursing is essential in facilitating new discoveries such as medications and technological advances that benefits a multitude. However, research also predisposes the participants to unintended outcomes. While caregivers are required to do no harm, the unintended events cannot be wholly avoided in research. Similarly, while they are required to act only in ways that benefits patients, undertaking research to benefit people leads to unintended outcomes.

Value of Personal Morality

My value of personal morality is dignity. Butts and Rich (2015) describes dignity as an intrinsic and inherent importance assigned to oneself either by society or by self. Dignity, whether personal or basic, is important as it allows a person to be treated with the worthiness that he/she deserves. The community I live in upholds the dignity of human life, and demands respect even for the dead. It is wrong to badmouth a dead person, as it is badmouthing a person who is alive. The moral values in this community have led to the aggressive rejection about abortion, and any other medical procedure that destroys possible human life. This is because the community dignifies human life.

In conclusion, research is an important aspect of the nursing and medical fields. However, ethical dilemmas that accompany research involving human research continue to challenge the importance of research. This paper analyzed literature on ethical dilemmas that surround research in nurses, identifying challenges such as informed consent, data sharing, protection of life versus alleviation of suffering, and destruction of data after research. The analysis of the literature not only contributed to the better understanding about ethical dilemma in nursing, but also helped identify ways through which these ethical dilemmas can be ideally handled. The paper also analyzed two bioethics principles, beneficence and nonmaleficence, and how they relate to the ethical dilemma. Dignity was identified as the value relating to moral principles of the community.

Bolcic-Jankovic, D., Clarridge, B. R., LeBlanc, J. L., Mahmood, R. S., Roman, A. M., & Freeman, B. D. (2014). Exploring determinants of surrogate decision-maker confidence An example From the ICU. Journal of Empirical Research on Human Research Ethics, 9(4), 76-85. Bond, C. S., Ahmed, O. H., Hind, M., Thomas, B., & Hewitt-Taylor, J. (2013). The conceptual and practical ethical dilemmas of using health discussion board posts as `research data. Journal of Medical Internet Research, 15(6), e112. Butts, J. B., & Rich, K. L. (2015). Foundations of ethical nursing practice. Role Development in Professional Nursing Practice, 117. Kaye, J. (2012). The tension between data sharing and the protection of privacy in genomics research. Annual Review of Genomics and Human Genetics, 13, 415. Lo, B. (2012). Resolving ethical dilemmas: a guide for clinicians. Philadelphia: Lippincott Williams & Wilkins. Manzar, N., Manzar, B., Hussain, N., Hussain, M. F. A., & Raza, S. (2013). The ethical dilemma of embryonic stem cell research. Science and Engineering Ethics, 19(1), 97 106. Narayanasamy, A. (2015). Reflexive account of unintended outcomes from spiritual care qualitative research. Journal of Research in Nursing, 20(3), 234-248. Saunders, B., Kitzinger, J., & Kitzinger, C. (2015). Participant anonymity in the internet age: Witt, M. M., & Witt, M. P. (2016). Privacy and confidentiality measures in genetic testing and counseling: arguing on genetic exceptionalism again?. Journal of Applied Genetics, 1-3.

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