ANH PHAM

In general, moral dilemma itself is such a broad term. Truthfully, I still have so many questions regarding this topic, and probably so do other people.

 

We face choices like these daily: morally laden quandaries that demand direct and immediate decisions. Unlike moral issues that dominate our dinner conversations—legalizing abortion, preemptive war, raising the minimum wage—about which we do little more than pontificate, the problems of everyday ethics call for our own resolutions. I think moral dilemmas are inevitable, because humans are themselves such complex creatures. And we actually need those dilemmas to further challenge ourselves and not settle to just what is right and wrong.

 

I remember watching a Netflix's crime documentary named "Conversations with a Killer: The Ted Bundy Tapes" and felt so lost as to how can a human being so vile, so shockingly evil without feeling so remorseful. People's reaction to him are such,how can a man like that, well-educated, good looking, no criminal record, could take the lives of so many innocent young women? Their moral values are challenged as it strengthens the thesis "never judge a book by its cover" even more.

 

I remember the musical movie "Les Miserables" where the main character Jean Valjean when in need to feed his family, has stolen a bread from a bakery. We all know stealing is never accepted, but in situations like Valjean’s, we actually had to think twice.

 

Also, in "Game Of Thrones" series, the knights have sworn for their lives that they will protect their kings no matter what. however Jaime Lannister, who was a knight leader of the Kingdom has slayed the King since he overheard the King wanted to slay the whole kingdom by using wildfire - the equivalence of a nuclear weapon, which very likely can kill 10000 people at once. He broke his oath in order to save many lives. Breaking his lifelong oath and killing the person he is responsible for in order to prevent an unavoidable mass kill. When we think in Jaime’s shoes, the choices made sense and his final decision at the end, somehow makes sense as well in our mind.

 

I think it's really hard when we are in that situation. Honestly I find it really difficult. I do not even know how they can deal with such situation, until I myself also faced some moral dilemmas in my life. For example, the other day I went out in a group with my friend's pregnant aunt and her husband. Then I saw the aunt flirting with another man without her husband's knowing. Shocked as I was, I faced the situation possible: should I tell the husband - possibly can ruin their marriage - or mind my own business - possibly let them hurt at the end? It is hard to decide, given that my moral values are telling me to keep my mouth shut and let them deal with their own problems. But cheating is never good to begin with, and finding out about it evokes a terrible feeling one way or another for the betrayed party sooner or later. In the end, I chose to mind my own business, but it was because my moral values are telling me being nosy is never my thing, and that I have to deal with my own problems first.

I actually think that presumably, different people might offer different answers. We can, nonetheless, draw a few lessons from even this hasty consideration of everyday moral dilemmas.

 

Firstly, we need to be clear about which values are at play. While we often don’t have the luxury of a long, careful weighing of competing principles, our actions will be moral only if they are the firm result of our intention to act morally and not, say, to fulfill a selfish interest.

 

Secondly, intellectual honesty is always a challenge. With regard to lying, for example, we need to acknowledge how easy it is to justify dishonesty by claiming compassion or some other good when, in fact, we merely want to avoid unpleasant confrontations. Our capacity for rationalization is remarkable: “Everyone does it,” “I’ll do it just this one time,” “It’s for her own good,” “It’s none of my business,” and on and on.

 

Thirdly, we need to give slack to people with whom we disagree. They are at much of a dilemma as ours, and honestly when I think back to question some people's decision in my life, I always end up mostly giving them both benefit of the doubt or rather, sympathy. I know how they feel in these situations, thus, when I look back, my grudges over our fights do not matter much to me anymore.

 

In general, moral dilemma itself is such a broad term. Truthfully, I still have so many questions regarding this topic, and probably so do other people.