ethical dilemma sample essay

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As such, you have to approach the topic carefully and rely on the latest available evidence to avoid citing outdated ideas.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.
• Nuclear Waste Management Ethical Dilemmas However, the creation of energy through nuclear reactions leads to the production of radioactive by-products that are dangerous to the environment.
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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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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
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• Chris Drew (PhD) https://helpfulprofessor.com/author/chris-drew-phd/ 100 Consumer Goods Examples
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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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How to Write an Ethics Paper: Guide & Ethical Essay Examples

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

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

What Is an Ethics Essay?

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

Purpose of an Essay on Ethics

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

Things to Write an Essay About Ethics On

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

Ethics Paper Outline

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

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

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

Ethical Essay Structure

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

Ethics Paper Introduction

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

Ethics Essay Introduction Example

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

Imagine living in a world where people only lie, and honesty is becoming a scarce commodity. Indeed, modern society is facing this reality as truth and deception can no longer be separated. Technology has facilitated a quick transmission of voluminous information, whereas it's hard separating facts from opinions.

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

Ethics Essay Thesis Statement

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

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

Ethical Paper Thesis Example

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

The moral implications of dishonesty are far-reaching as they undermine trust, integrity, and other foundations of society, damaging personal and professional relationships. 

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

Ethics Essay Body

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

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

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

Body Paragraph for Ethics Paper Example

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

Honesty is an essential component of professional integrity. In many fields, trust and credibility are crucial for professionals to build relationships and success. For example, a doctor who is dishonest about a potential side effect of a medication is not only acting unethically but also putting the health and well-being of their patients at risk. Similarly, a dishonest businessman could achieve short-term benefits but will lose their client’s trust.

Ethics Essay Conclusion

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

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

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

Sample Ethics Paper Conclusion

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

In conclusion, the implications of dishonesty and the importance of honesty in our lives cannot be overstated. Honesty builds solid relationships, effective communication, and better decision-making. This essay has explored how dishonesty impacts people and that we should value honesty. We hope this essay will help readers assess their behavior and work towards being more honest in their lives.

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

How to Write an Ethics Paper?

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

1. Pick a Topic

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

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

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

2. Conduct In-Depth Research

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

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

3. Develop an Ethics Essay Outline

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

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

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

4. Write an Ethics Essay

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

5. Proofread Your Ethics Essay

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

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

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

Ethics Essay Examples

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

Ethics essay example 2

Ethics essay example 3

Ethics essay example 4

College ethics essay example 5

Ethics Essay Writing Tips

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

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

Bottom Line on Writing an Ethics Paper

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

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

Contact our academic writing platform and have your challenge solved. Here, you can order essays and papers on any topic and enjoy top quality. 

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Writing Ethical Papers: Top Tips to Ace Your Assignment

17 August, 2021

13 minutes read

Author:  Kate Smith

Writing a complex essay paper can be a tough task for any student, especially for those who do not have their skills developed well or do not have enough time for lengthy assignments. At the same time, the majority of college students need to keep their grades high to maintain their right to receive merit-based scholarships and continue their studies the next year. To help you with your ethical papers writing, we created this guide. Below, you will find out what an ethical paper is, how to structure it and write it efficiently. 

What is an Ethical Paper?

An ethics paper is a type of an argumentative assignment that deals with a certain ethical problem that a student has to describe and solve. Also, it can be an essay where a certain controversial event or concept is elaborated through an ethical lens (e.g. moral rules and principles), or a certain ethical dilemma is explained. Since ethics is connected to moral concepts and choices, a student needs to have a fair knowledge of philosophy and get ready to answer questions related to relationships, justice, professional and social duties, the origin of good and evil, etc., to write a quality paper. Also, writing an ethics paper implies that a student should process a great amount of information regarding their topic and analyze it according to paper terms.

General Aspects of Writing an Ethics Paper

Understanding the ethical papers’ features.

Every essay has differences and features that make it unique. Writing ethical papers implies that a student will use their knowledge of morality and philosophy to resolve a certain ethical dilemma or solve a situation. It can also be a paper in which a student needs to provide their reasoning on ethical or legal circumstances that follow a social issue. Finally, it can be an assignment in which an ethical concept and its application are described. On the contrary, a history essay deals with events that took place somewhen earlier, while a narrative essay is a paper where students demonstrate their storytelling skills, etc.

Defining What Type of Essay Should Be Written

Most of the time, ethical paper topics imply that a student will write an argumentative essay; however, ethics essays can also be descriptive and expository. Each of these essay types has different guidelines for writing, so be sure you know them before you start writing your papers on ethics. In case you missed this step in your ethical paper preparation stage, you would end up writing a paper that misses many important points.

Studying the Ethical Paper Guidelines

Once you get your ethical paper assignment, look through the guidelines that your instructor provided to you. If you receive them during the class, don’t hesitate to pose any questions immediately to remove any misunderstanding before writing an ethics paper outline, or ask for references that you need to use. When you are about to write your first draft, don’t rush: read the paper instructions once again to make sure you understand what is needed from you.

Paying Attention to the Paper Topic

The next thing you need to pay attention to is the ethical paper topic: once you are given one, make sure it falls into the scope of your educational course. After that, consider what additional knowledge may be needed to elaborate on your topic and think about what courses of your program could be helpful for it. Once you are done, read through your topic again to recheck whether you understand your assignment right.

Understanding the Notions of Ethical Arguments, Ethical and Legal Implications, and Ethical Dilemma

Last but not least, another important factor is that a student has to understand the basic terms of the assignment to write a high-quality paper. Ethical arguments are a set of moral rules that are used to defend your position on an ethical issue stated in your essay topic. We refer to ethical versus legal implications when we think about the compensation for certain ethical dilemma outcomes and whether it should be a moral punishment or legal judgment. An ethical dilemma itself refers to a problem or situation which makes an individual doubt what position to take: e.g, abortion, bribery, corruption, etc.

Writing Outline and Structure of an Ethics Paper

Every essay has a structure that makes it a solid piece of writing with straight reasoning and argumentation, and an ethics paper is not an exclusion. This paper has an introduction, body paragraphs, and conclusion. Below, we will describe how each part of ethical papers should be organized and what information they should contain.

First comes the introduction. It is the opening part of your paper which helps a reader to get familiar with your topic and understand what your paper will be about. Therefore, it should contain some information on your ethics paper topics and a thesis statement, which is a central statement of your paper.

The essay body is the most substantive part of your essay where all the reasoning and arguments should be presented. Each paragraph should contain an argument that supports or contradicts your thesis statement and pieces of evidence to support your position. Pick at least three arguments to make your position clear in your essay, and then your paper will be considered well-structured.

The third part of an ethics paper outline is a conclusion, which is a finishing essay part. Its goal is to wrap up the whole essay and make the author’s position clear for the last time. The thoughtful formulation in this essay part should be especially clear and concise to demonstrate the writer’s ability to make conclusions and persuade readers.

Also, don’t forget to include the works cited page after your writing. It should mention all the reference materials that you used in your paper in the order of appearance or in the alphabetical one. This page should be formatted according to the assigned formatting style. Most often, the most frequently used format for ethical papers is APA.

20 Examples of Ethical Paper Topics

• Are there any issues in the 21st century that we can consider immoral and why?
• What is corporate ethics?
• Why is being selfish no longer an issue in 2023?
• Euthanasia: pros and cons
• Marijuana legalization: should it be allowed all over the world?
• Is abortion an ethical issue nowadays?
• Can we invent a universal religion appropriate for all?
• Is the church necessary to pray to God?
• Can we forgive infidelity and should we do it?
• How to react if you are witnessing high school bullying?
• What are the ways to respond to a family abusing individual?
• How to demand your privacy protection in a digital world?
• The history of the American ethical thought
• Can war be ethical and what should the conflicting sides do to make it possible?
• Ethical issues of keeping a zoo in 2023
• Who is in charge of controlling the world’s population?
• How to achieve equality in the world’s rich and poor gap?
• Is science ethical?
• How ethical is genetic engineering?
• Why many countries refuse to go back to carrying out the death penalty?

Ethical Papers Examples

If you still have no idea about how to write an ethics paper, looking through other students’ successful examples is always a good idea. Below, you can find a relevant ethics paper example that you can skim through and see how to build your reasoning and argumentation in your own paper.

https://www.currentschoolnews.com/education-news/ethics-essay-examples/

https://sites.psu.edu/academy/2014/11/18/essay-2-personal-ethics-and-decision-making/

Ethical Papers Writing Tips

Choose a topic that falls into the ethics course program.

In case you were not given the ethics paper topic, consider choosing it yourself. To do that, brainstorm the ethical issues that fascinate you enough to do research. List all these issues on a paper sheet and then cross out those that are too broad or require expertise that you don’t have. The next step you need to take is to choose three or four ethical topics for papers from the list and try to do a quick search online to find out whether these topics are elaborated enough to find sources and reference materials on them. Last, choose one topic that you like the most and find the most relevant one in terms of available data for reference.

Do your research

Once the topic is chosen and organized, dive deeper into it to find the most credible, reliable, and trusted service. Use your university library, online scientific journals, documentaries, and other sources to get the information from. Remember to take notes while working with every new piece of reference material to not forget the ideas that you will base your argumentation on.

Follow the guidelines for a paper outline

During the preparation for your ethical paper and the process of writing it, remember to follow your professor’s instructions (e.g. font, size, spacing, citation style, etc.). If you neglect them, your grade for the paper will decrease significantly.

Write the essay body first

Do not rush to start writing your ethics papers from the very beginning; to write a good essay, you need to have your outline and thesis statement first. Then, go to writing body paragraphs to demonstrate your expertise on the issue you are writing about. Remember that one supporting idea should be covered in one paragraph and should be followed by the piece of evidence that confirms it.

Make sure your introduction and conclusion translate the same message

After your essay body is done, write a conclusion and an introduction for your paper. The main tip regarding these ethics paper parts is that you should make them interrelated: your conclusion has to restate your introduction but not repeat it. Also, a conclusion should wrap up your writing and make it credible for the audience.

Add citations

Every top-quality paper has the works cited page and citations to demonstrate that the research on the topic has been carried out. Therefore, do not omit this point when formatting your paper: add all the sources to the works cited page and pay attention to citing throughout the text. The latter should be done according to the formatting style indicated in your instructions.

Edit your paper

Last but not least is the editing and proofreading stage that you need to carry out before you submit your paper to your instructor. Consider keeping your first draft away from sight for a day or two to have a rest, and then go back to check it for errors and redundant phrases. Don’t rush to change anything immediately after finishing your writing since you are already tired and less focused, so some mistakes may be missed.

Writing Help by Handmadewriting

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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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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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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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Essay on Ethical Dilemma

Ideally, an ethical dilemma refers to a conflict that often arises based on two available choices, and in most cases, it focuses on some ethical principle that is hindered based on the two choices that are available to an individual. Subsequently, this case often focuses on the available options, and their resultant consequences based on the course of action an individual adopts during the decision-making process. Ethics are well-formulated standards of actions that dictate what is right from what is wrong, and in most cases, they often avail a course of action to individuals. Furthermore, on a broader scale, they often reflect facets such as rights, fairness, and other virtues that are held by the overall society (Hedge, 2021).

Subsequently, several guidelines have been established to determine whether a specific course of action is ethically correct or incorrect. Some of these guiding frameworks are based on legal tests whereby the case focuses on whether a particular law is being broken in the process, and this will ultimately determine if the course of action is either right or wrong. Secondly, there is the stench test that is used to detect whether the course of action has some degree of corruption, and this case often establishes the height of morality based on a psychological level. Furthermore, there is the front-page test which measures the levels of your social morals and concludes that most individuals won’t engage in particular actions if they know that other individuals will know their course of actions. Finally, there is the mom test which requires individuals to consider what other people who care about the most will think or feel if they follow a particular course of action, and this case often helps these individuals to gain a clear concept of their course of actions.

Ethical dilemma focuses on the conflict that may emerge between the two choices that are available to an individual, and it further reflects on the consequential outcome that might arise from choosing between the two alternatives. Besides, selecting one of the options often results in some degree of violation of the established ethical principles (Hedge, 2021). Basically, in this case, the individual is required to choose between the two available options, and the course of action is both necessary and prohibited altogether. Consequently, one is prone to ethical failure regardless of the course of action they choose. Besides, ethical dilemma often results to the need to either focus on the deontological ethics or the teleological ethics. Therefore, deontological ethics is a type of ethical theory that emphasizes the linkage between duties and the moralities of individual actions, and an ideal example focuses on the need to be responsible in case your daughter gets pregnant at an early age. Ideally, this case often relates the duties to the specific moralities that you hold (Britannica, 2021).

However, the teleological ethics in ethical dilemma often focuses on the resultant consequences that will emerge from the course of action that I choose on a particular matter. Furthermore, teleological ethics are often known as consequentialist ethics because they focus on the resultant outcome of a particular action, and they often stress the need to follow a good outcome as a result of a particular course of action. Finally, ethical dilemma also creates the aspect of virtue ethics which will influence the course of action based on the background character of the individual or the surrounding family members can also play a part in the decision-making process.

For instance, if you have a child who has become a drug addict at a young age and is stubborn, the case will create an ethical dilemma scenario as you will contemplate the appropriate course of action. Subsequently, deontological ethics will emerge in this case because you will have several courses of action to look into, and one of them will be the need to care for and protect your child from any danger that may emerge. Moreover, there will be a health risk to my child if I entertain their addiction but at the same time, I have the moral obligation to ensure my child finds the appropriate rehabilitation center that will help with the recovery process.

An ethical dilemma often requires us to have a well-laid out thinking process before making any decision. Subsequently, this means that it is necessary to assess the varying moral choices and belief systems that are available and focus on the resultant outcome that might emerge from the decisions that you may take. Ideally, this case often helps individuals in making the right decisions, and ultimately results in the most ideal outcome afterward. Moreover, to effectively deal with ethical dilemmas, then individuals should consider using the deontological, teleological, and virtue techniques to achieve the most ideal outcome because these approaches help with the decision-making process.

Moreover, currently, several techniques help with ethical decision-making processes, and this includes the end-based tactic that states that the actions might be ethically correct or incorrect based on their resultant effects, and this approach concludes by stating that the most ethical choice is the one that results to a positive outcome to a greater portion of individuals. Another approach that is ideal in making decisions under ethical dilemma is the rules-based method, that dictates that individuals should adhere to the established rules and principles, and ignore the resultant outcome that might emerge. Finally, there is the care-based method that stresses the need to care about others in an ethical dilemma scenario, and this approach states that individuals should consider doing good deeds towards others just as they would expect to be treated in return (Hedge, 2021).

Resolving ethical dilemmas is feasible under whatever circumstances. However, individuals should follow the appropriate guideline in resolving the issue at hand, and this includes first identifying the issue at hand and the available feasible options. Subsequently, the stages will include analyzing the consequences, analysis of the actions, then finally making an informed decision. In analyzing the resultant consequences of two choices, one should consider listing the positive and negative outcomes of each decision, and this case doesn’t simply imply focusing on the number of positive deeds or negative deeds but on the magnitude of the good outcome that will emerge in the process. Subsequently, rather than focusing on the number of positive outcomes, the emphasis should be on the quality of the positive outcome when analyzing the consequences (Hedge, 2021).

The second step in dealing with ethical dilemmas focuses on the analysis of the actions, and this stage points out that some actions might be good while others might be bad. Therefore, this case stresses the need to measure these actions against the moral values of honesty and fairness, and there is the urge to focus on the rights and dignity of other individuals. Moreover, this step further stresses that regardless of the good deeds that emerge from a specific bad act, the doings will never be right. Conclusively, the final steps entail making a decision, and this stage applies the counter-check strategy by assessing the limitations that each available option has, and this ultimately helps the individual in making the right informed decision under the ethical dilemma scenario (Hedge, 2021).

Britannica. (2021). Deontological Ethics.  https://www.britannica.com/topic/deontological-ethics .

Hedge, S. (2021, July 28).  What is an Ethical Dilemma?  Science ABC.  https://www.scienceabc.com/social-science/what-is-an-ethical-dilemma-definition-examples-real-life.html .

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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.

Common Ethical Dilemmas in Nursing and their Solutions

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

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

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

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

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

What is an Ethical Dilemma in Nursing?

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

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

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

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

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

Ethical Dilemma Versus Moral Dilemma

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

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

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

Reasons Nurses Face Ethical Dilemmas in Healthcare

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

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

Identifying Ethical Dilemmas in Nursing

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

Here are the main indicators of ethical dilemmas in nursing.

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

Principles of Nursing Ethics

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

1. Nonmaleficence

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

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

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

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

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

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

2. Beneficence

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

3. Autonomy

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Examples of Ethical Dilemmas in Healthcare

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

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

1. Pro-choice versus pro-life.

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

SOLUTION : Respect the wishes of the patient.

2. Religious beliefs versus science.

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

SOLUTION : Respect patient autonomy and do as they wish.

3. Beneficence versus autonomy.

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

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

4. Anti-vaccine stance.

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

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

5. Withholding information versus being honest.

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

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

6. Limited resources versus healthcare needs.

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

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

7. Questionable orders.

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

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

How to Address Ethical Dilemmas in Nursing

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

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

1. A Problem Shared Is a Problem Halved

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

2. Internalize Patient Autonomy

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

3. Respect the Right to Privacy

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

4. Transparency is Key

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

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

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

6. Stay Up-To-Date with Ethical Guidelines

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

7. Always Do Something as Soon as You Can

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

8. Negotiating Never Hurts Anybody

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

9. Talk to Somebody Higher Up

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

Consequences of Failing to Address Ethical Dilemmas in Nursing Properly

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

1. Loss of License

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

2. Legal Issues

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

3. Job Suspension or Termination

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

4. Stress and Burnout

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

5. Negative Patient Outcomes

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

Takeaway about Ethical Dilemmas in Nursing Practice

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

Related Readings:

• List of hot controversial topics for nursing issue papers

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