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Moral Dilemmas
Moral dilemmas
A situation in which, whatever choice is made,
the agent commits a moral wrong
Moral Dilemmas

Example from Book I of Plato's Republic
Cephalus defines ‘justice’ as speaking the truth
and paying one's debts.
Socrates quickly refutes this account by
suggesting that it would be wrong to repay
certain debts (weapon)
Moral dilemmas
Socrates' point is not that repaying debts is
without moral import; rather, he wants to show
that it is not always right to repay one's
debts….
Moral Dilemmas
There is a conflict between two moral norms:
repaying one's debts and protecting others
from harm.
Moral Dilemmas
The agent regards herself as having moral
reasons to do each of two actions, but doing
both is not possible
Moral Dilemmas
When one of the conflicting requirements
overrides the other, we do not have a genuine
moral dilemma.
In the Crito, Does Socrates confront a moral
dilemma?
Moral Dilemmas
1.
Something morally
right
Bad outcome
2.
Something morally
wrong
Good or better
outcome
Moral Dilemma
A woman was near death from a unique kind of
cancer. There is a drug that might save her. The drug
costs $4,000 per dosage. The sick woman's husband,
Heinz, went to everyone he knew to borrow the
money and tried every legal means, but he could only
get together about $2,000. He asked the doctor
scientist who discovered the drug for a discount or
that he let him pay later. But the doctor scientist
refused.
Moral Dilemma
Should Heinz break into the laboratory to steal
the drug for his wife?
(Why or why not?)
Moral Stages

Lawrence Kohlberg (1927-87)
Kohlberg
Kohlberg proposed that moral reasoning,
which he thought to be the basis for ethical
behavior, develops through stages.
Moral Stages
Level 1: PRE-CONVENTIONAL
Level 2: CONVENTIONAL
Level 3: POST-CONVENTIONAL
Kohlberg’s Stages
Level 1 (Pre-conventional)
Reasoners judge the morality of an action by its
direct consequences
Stage One: Obedience and Punishment
Stage Two: Individualism, Instrumentalism, and
Exchange
Heinz Dilemma
Stage One (obedience): Heinz should not steal
the medicine, because otherwise he will be put
in prison.
Pre-conventional level
Stage One (obedience orientation)
Individuals focus on the direct consequences
that their actions will have for themselves.
Socrates’ Dilemma

From the point of view of Stage One, Socrates
should not die because…
Heinz Moral Dilemma

Pre-conventional Level
Stage Two (self-interest): Heinz should steal
the medicine, because he will be much happier
if he saves his wife, even if he will have to
serve a prison sentence.
Kohlberg’s Stages
Stage Two (self-interest orientation):
what's in it for me position. Right behavior is
defined by what is in one's own best interest.
Socrates’ Dilemma

From a level two perspective, Socrates should
not die because…
Kohlberg’s Stages
Level 2 (Conventional)
People who reason in a conventional way judge the
morality of actions by comparing these actions to
social rules and expectations.
Stage Three: Interpersonal Concordance ("Good
boy/girl")
Stage Four: Law and Order
Heinz Moral Dilemma
CONVENTIONAL LEVEL

Stage Three (conformity): Heinz should steal
the medicine, because his wife expects it.
Conventional level
Stage Three (conformity orientation)
Individuals seek approval from other people.
They judge the morality of actions by
evaluating the consequences of these actions
for a person's relationships.
Socrates dilemma

Socrates should not die because…
Heinz Dilemma
Stage Four (law-and-order): Heinz should not
steal the medicine, because the law prohibits
stealing.
Conventional level
Stage Four (law-and-order mentality).
In stage four, individuals think it is important
to obey the law and conventions of society.
Socrates Dilemma

Socrates should die because…
Kohlberg’s Stages
Level 3 (Post-conventional)
(Most people do not reach this level of moral
reasoning)

Stage Five: Human Rights

Stage Six: Universal Ethical Principles
(Principled Conscience)
Heinz moral dilemma
Stage five (human rights):
Heinz should steal the medicine because
saving his wife is more important than obeying
the law.
Post-conventional level
Stage Five (human rights orientation)
 People have certain principles to which they
attach more value than laws, such as human
rights.
 An action is wrong if it violates certain ethical
principles.
 Laws that do not promote general social
welfare should be changed
Socrates dilemma

Socrates should not die…?
We are at level 3!!!!
Post-conventional level

Stage six (universal human ethics):
Heinz should steal the medicine, because
saving a human life is a more fundamental
value than respecting the property of another
person.
Post-conventional level
Stage Six (ethical principle orientation).
Moral reasoning is based on the use of abstract
reasoning using universal principles.
(People rarely, if ever, reach stage 6 of
Kohlberg's model)
Socrates’ Decision
Socrates chose to die
because….
Socrates
Should we return the weapon then (according
to Socrates)?
Socrates
Socrates maintains that protecting others from
harm is the norm that takes priority