11  Moral Dilemmas: Puzzles that present ethical quandaries and force you to consider moral implications.

⚠️ This book is generated by AI, the content may not be 100% accurate.

11.1 Classic Moral Dilemmas

📖 Must choose between two or more morally correct options where only one can be fulfilled, with grave consequences.

11.1.1 Problem

The trolley problem: A runaway trolley is barreling down the tracks toward five people. You are standing next to a lever that can divert the trolley onto a different track. However, you notice that there is one person on the other track. Do you pull the lever, saving five people at the cost of one?

  • Hint:
    • Consider the moral value of each life and the consequences of your actions.
  • Answer:
    • There is no universally accepted answer to this question, as it depends on one’s moral values. Some people believe that it is morally permissible to sacrifice one life to save five, while others believe that all lives are equally valuable and that it is wrong to take any life.

11.1.2 Problem

The violinist problem: A famous violinist is kidnapped and brought to a hospital. The violinist is hooked up to five different patients, each of whom needs one of the violinist’s organs to survive. The violinist is unconscious and cannot consent to the surgery. Do you kill the violinist to save the five patients?

  • Hint:
    • Consider the rights of the violinist and the patients, as well as the consequences of your actions.
  • Answer:
    • Again, there is no universally accepted answer to this question. Some people believe that it is morally permissible to kill the violinist to save the five patients, while others believe that the violinist’s right to life outweighs the needs of the patients.

11.1.3 Problem

The lifeboat problem: A lifeboat is carrying 10 people, but it is only designed to hold 8. A storm hits and the lifeboat begins to sink. Two people must be thrown overboard to save the rest. Who do you choose?

  • Hint:
    • Consider the different factors that could influence your decision, such as age, health, and social status.
  • Answer:
    • There is no easy answer to this question, as any decision will result in the deaths of two innocent people. Some people believe that the youngest and healthiest people should be saved, while others believe that the elderly and infirm should be given priority. Ultimately, the decision of who to throw overboard is a difficult one that must be made on a case-by-case basis.

11.1.4 Problem

Euthanasia: A terminally ill patient asks you to help them end their life. Do you do it?

  • Hint:
    • Consider the patient’s right to self-determination, as well as the ethical implications of ending a life.
  • Answer:
    • This is a complex and controversial issue, and there is no easy answer. Some people believe that euthanasia is a compassionate way to end the suffering of terminally ill patients, while others believe that it is morally wrong to take a life. Ultimately, the decision of whether or not to euthanize a patient is a difficult one that must be made on a case-by-case basis.

11.1.5 Problem

Abortion: A woman who is pregnant with a child that has a serious disability asks you for an abortion. Do you perform it?

  • Hint:
    • Consider the rights of the mother and the fetus, as well as the ethical implications of ending a potential life.
  • Answer:
    • This is another complex and controversial issue, and there is no easy answer. Some people believe that a woman has the right to choose whether or not to have an abortion, while others believe that abortion is morally wrong. Ultimately, the decision of whether or not to have an abortion is a difficult one that must be made by the woman involved, in consultation with her doctor.

11.2 Hypothetical Moral Dilemmas

📖 Imaginative scenarios that challenge moral principles, not directly applicable to real-life situations.

11.2.1 Problem

You have two bottles of pills. One contains deadly poison, the other contains a harmless placebo. Both bottles are identical in appearance and have no distinguishing marks. You have access to a scale sensitive enough to detect a tiny difference in weight. How can you use the scale to find out which bottle contains the poison?

  • Hint:
    • Consider what might happen to the weight of each bottle over time.
  • Answer:
    • Leave both bottles unopened and weigh them. The bottle with the poison will be slightly heavier, as the poison will slowly evaporate over time, making the bottle lighter.

11.2.2 Problem

An elderly woman is found murdered in her home. She was killed by a single blow to the head with a heavy object. The only person in the house at the time was her loyal housekeeper, who claims to have found the victim’s body when she arrived for work that morning. However, the police find a bloody fingerprint on the murder weapon that matches the housekeeper’s. The housekeeper insists she is innocent. Is she lying?

  • Hint:
    • Consider who else might have been in the house.
  • Answer:
    • No. The housekeeper could be telling the truth if it was her day off on the previous day. The murderer could have broken into the house earlier and killed the woman. The housekeeper could have touched the murder weapon innocently when she found the body, transferring her fingerprint onto it.

11.2.3 Problem

You are on trial for murder. The prosecutor has presented overwhelming evidence against you. Your lawyer tells you that if you testify in your defense, the jury will convict you, but if you remain silent, the jury will acquit you. What do you do?

  • Hint:
    • Consider the consequences of your choices.
  • Answer:
    • Remain silent. If you testify, the jury will convict you based on the overwhelming evidence. However, if you remain silent, the jury cannot convict you without proof beyond a reasonable doubt, and they will likely acquit you due to the lack of evidence.

11.2.4 Problem

You come to a fork in the road. One path leads to the village of Truth, where everyone always tells the truth. The other path leads to the village of Lies, where everyone always lies. A man is standing at the fork in the road. He tells you that one of the paths leads to Truth and the other to Lies, but he does not tell you which is which. How can you determine which path leads to Truth?

  • Hint:
    • Ask a question that will yield a different answer depending on which path leads to Truth.
  • Answer:
    • Ask the man, “Which path would a liar say leads to Truth?” If he points to one path, that must be the path to Truth because a liar would lie about which path leads to Truth. If he points to the other path, that must also be the path to Truth because a liar would say that the path to Truth is the path to Lies.

11.2.5 Problem

You are in a room with three light switches. Each switch controls one of three light bulbs in a separate room. You can only enter the room with the light bulbs once. How can you determine which switch controls which light bulb?

  • Hint:
    • Consider the state of the light bulbs after flipping the switches.
  • Answer:
    • Turn on two of the switches for a few minutes and then turn one off. Enter the room with the light bulbs. The light bulb that is on is controlled by the switch that you left on. The light bulb that is warm but not on is controlled by the switch that you turned off. The light bulb that is cold is controlled by the switch that you never touched.

11.3 Contemporary Moral Dilemmas

📖 Moral issues arising from modern societal advancements, such as technology or social norms.

11.3.1 Problem

A group of friends decide to go on a hiking trip in a remote area. As they are hiking, they come across a bear. The bear is charging towards them, and they have no way to escape. One of the friends has a gun, and he shoots the bear. Is the friend morally justified in shooting the bear?

  • Hint:
    • Consider the circumstances of the situation and the potential consequences of not shooting the bear.
  • Answer:
    • The friend is morally justified in shooting the bear. The bear is posing an immediate threat to the lives of the friends, and shooting the bear is the only way to stop the threat.

11.3.2 Problem

A self-driving car is involved in an accident. The car is driving down the road when it comes across a group of pedestrians. The car swerves to avoid the pedestrians, but it crashes into a tree. The driver of the car is killed, and the pedestrians are injured. Who is morally responsible for the accident: the driver, the car manufacturer, or the pedestrians?

  • Hint:
    • Consider the role of each party involved in the accident and their level of responsibility.
  • Answer:
    • The car manufacturer is morally responsible for the accident. The car was defective, and the defect caused the accident.

11.3.3 Problem

A doctor is treating a patient who has a terminal illness. The patient is in great pain, and the doctor knows that there is nothing that can be done to cure the patient. The patient asks the doctor to help him end his life. Should the doctor help the patient?

  • Hint:
    • Consider the ethical implications of euthanasia and the patient’s right to self-determination.
  • Answer:
    • The doctor should not help the patient end his life. Euthanasia is illegal in most countries, and it is unethical to take a life, even at the patient’s request.

11.3.4 Problem

A woman is pregnant with a child that has a serious birth defect. The doctor tells the woman that the child will likely die shortly after birth. The woman is faced with the decision of whether to terminate the pregnancy or to carry the child to term. What should the woman do?

  • Hint:
    • Consider the ethical implications of abortion and the woman’s right to make decisions about her own body.
  • Answer:
    • The woman should make the decision that is best for her. There is no right or wrong answer to this question, and the woman should weigh the risks and benefits of each option before making a decision.

11.3.5 Problem

A group of people are stranded on a desert island. They have very little food and water, and they know that if they do not find help soon, they will die. One of the people has a gun, and he suggests that they kill and eat one of the other people in order to survive. Would it be morally acceptable to kill and eat one person in order to save the lives of the others?

  • Hint:
    • Consider the ethical implications of cannibalism and the value of human life.
  • Answer:
    • It would not be morally acceptable to kill and eat one person in order to save the lives of the others. Cannibalism is illegal and unethical, and it would be wrong to take a life in order to save another.

11.4 Personal Moral Dilemmas

📖 Moral choices individuals face in their personal lives, involving relationships, career, or values.

11.4.1 Problem

You are in a room with two doors and two guards. One door leads to freedom, the other to certain death. One guard always tells the truth and one always lies. You can only ask one question to one guard. Which question do you ask and to whom?

  • Hint:
    • Think about the consequences of each possible question and answer.
  • Answer:
    • Ask either guard, “If I asked the other guard which door leads to freedom, what would they say?” If you ask the honest guard, they will correctly tell you the answer the lying guard would give, which is the wrong door. If you ask the lying guard, they will lie and tell you the opposite of what the honest guard would say, which is the correct door.

11.4.2 Problem

You find a baby on your doorstep with a note that says, “This is your child. Take care of it.” You have never slept with a woman before. How is this possible?

  • Hint:
    • Think outside the box and consider non-traditional relationships.
  • Answer:
    • The baby is your sibling’s child, making it your niece or nephew.

11.4.3 Problem

You are driving home one night when you see a figure standing in the middle of the road. As you get closer, you realize it’s a young woman wearing a white dress. You swerve to avoid her, but she disappears. You continue driving and a few minutes later, you see her again. This time, you hit her and she dies. You call the police and they arrive to find no body and no evidence of an accident. What happened?

  • Hint:
    • Consider the circumstances and think about what might have been unusual.
  • Answer:
    • The woman was a ghost. She died in that location years ago while wearing a white dress and her ghost appears every night on the anniversary of her death.

11.4.4 Problem

A man walks into a bar and asks for a glass of water. The bartender pulls out a gun and points it at the man. The man says, “Thank you” and walks out. Why?

  • Hint:
    • Think about what the man might have needed the water for.
  • Answer:
    • The man had hiccups and the bartender’s action scared him, curing his hiccups.

11.4.5 Problem

You are in a boat with your father’s brother’s wife’s sister’s husband. Who is it?

  • Hint:
    • Consider the relationships between the people mentioned.
  • Answer:
    • Your mother

11.5 Historical Moral Dilemmas

📖 Moral dilemmas based on historical events or figures, exploring the complexities of decision-making in different times.

11.5.1 Problem

In 17th century Europe, a renowned physician discovers a revolutionary cure for the plague, but the church condemns the cure as witchcraft. Should the physician prioritize saving lives or adhering to religious doctrine?

  • Hint:
    • Consider the ethical implications of defying authority in the face of a humanitarian crisis.
  • Answer:
    • Saving lives. The physician’s duty is to alleviate suffering, regardless of religious beliefs.

11.5.2 Problem

During the American Civil War, a Union soldier captures a Confederate general. The general offers to surrender his entire army if the Union soldier spares his life. Should the soldier accept the offer, potentially ending the war sooner, or remain loyal to the cause of preserving the Union?

  • Hint:
    • Weigh the value of individual life against the greater good of society.
  • Answer:
    • Preserving the Union. While sparing the general’s life might end the war sooner, it could set a dangerous precedent and undermine the cause of preserving the Union.

11.5.3 Problem

In the 1940s, a group of scientists working on the Manhattan Project faces the moral dilemma of developing a weapon with the potential to end World War II but also cause unimaginable destruction. Should they pursue their research, prioritizing the potential benefits or consider the catastrophic risks?

  • Hint:
    • Explore the ethical responsibilities of scientists and the complexities of using scientific advancements for destructive purposes.
  • Answer:
    • Considering the catastrophic risks. While the weapon could end the war, the potential for devastation and the ethical implications of developing such a weapon raise serious concerns.

11.5.4 Problem

In medieval England, a young woman is accused of witchcraft based on circumstantial evidence. The town demands her execution, but the local priest suspects her innocence. Should the priest speak out against the town’s wishes, potentially putting his own life at risk, or remain silent, allowing an innocent person to be condemned?

  • Hint:
    • Consider the moral obligations of individuals to stand up for justice, even in the face of adversity.
  • Answer:
    • Speaking out against the town’s wishes. The priest has a moral obligation to protect the innocent, even if it means risking his own life.

11.5.5 Problem

During the Holocaust, a Jewish family hides in the attic of a German couple. The couple faces a moral dilemma: to continue hiding the family, putting their own lives in danger, or to report them to the authorities, potentially sending them to their deaths. What should the couple do?

  • Hint:
    • Explore the complexities of moral decision-making in extreme circumstances and the limits of human compassion.
  • Answer:
    • Continuing to hide the family. While reporting them could save their own lives, the moral imperative to protect innocent people from harm outweighs the risk to their own safety.