ethical dilemma at work essay

Ethical Dilemmas at the Workplace: What to Do?

Professional behavior often differs from our everyday behavior patterns. At work, you have to be friendly and polite in situations where you’d be bursting with temper outside of work. At work, you mostly need to keep emotions (and sometimes opinions) to yourself and be matter-of-fact about issues that happen.

It’s more complicated if you’re a manager: maintaining a  functional work environment  is your responsibility (even if it’s not formalized), and you have to find constructive ways to address performance issues, work-related problems, and employees’ behavior.

Here’s where workplace ethics comes into play. Being different from our everyday life ethics, it can cause dissonance between what you want to do and what you should do. Below, we’ve collected the most common ethical dilemmas that people face at work – and have to solve.

Dilemma #1: What to Mention and What to Omit at a Job Interview?

Ethical dilemmas can appear already at the job interview, especially if you have a not so perfect employment history. Should you mention you were fired from your previous position? How to explain why it happened? Making up a perfect cover story is tempting, but what if the employer finds out the truth?

Even if you don’t have a history of firings and workplace conflicts, there can be doubts about what to say to your potential employer. For example, when asked why you left your previous job and the first wording that comes to your mind is “I escaped a viper nest”, how to be honest about the actual reasons of leaving and not come across as unprofessional, rude and overly demanding?

Solution : Be up front about important facts of your previous employment: what you liked, what you disliked, why you left. Even if it’s a firing due to a severe misstep, it doesn’t mean you’re a bad person who should never work again. Admit you committed a mistake, and emphasize that you learned your lesson. That said, resist the urge of involving emotions: be mindful about the wording you choose. Just be matter-of-fact about the bad and the good at your previous workplace.

Dilemma #2: Running Personal Business at the Workplace

Having a  side hustle  is not a crime (at least as long as it doesn’t violate your employment contract). Many have one. Sometimes, it can require your urgent attention while you’re at your day job. You have obligations to both employers, so what to do?

Or, say, a friend just sent you a link to a gorgeous dress from an online shop, and now you’re thoroughly studying the entire summer collection on their website, while your workday is ticking away. Just to disconnect from the dull routine. Nothing illegal, but… doesn’t feel right.

Solution : Make sure to separate your side hustle from your main job. Don’t take on side projects that would require your immediate attention throughout your regular workday. Keep in mind that it will jeopardize your reputation sooner or later. As for googling something personal during your work hours, using your work phone for personal calls, or printing out your personal stuff with a company-owned printer, review what your company’s policies say about using company-owned resources, and strictly follow them.

Dilemma #3: Should I Report Inappropriate Behavior of a Colleague?

It’s your coworker you’re friends with, and they are being rude to clients. Or using racial slurs. Or bragging about how they violated the company’s policies and had zero consequences. Normally, it’s supposed that a behavior like this should be reported, but since you’re friends… You never wanted to play that mean trick on a friend.

The dilemma doesn’t necessarily involve friendship though. You might be afraid of the consequences of reporting a manager’s behavior, or trying to not be petty. The frequent choice is not reporting – but is it right?

Solution : Not reporting inappropriate behavior is basically nurturing it. Addressing it timely is the appropriate way to handle it: talking to the offender personally, or initiating a formal procedure with manager or HR department – reporting rudeness, policy violations, sexual harassment, racism, or other severe issues is essential for keeping work environment functional and inclusive.

Dilemma #4: How Do I Address Unprofessionalism?

Now it’s your employee, and they burst into tears when hearing that you are not excited with their performance, even asking you to not give them feedback. Or it’s a summer intern who would always choose the least appropriate topic for a water cooler talk and never notice the sudden awkward silence. Or an employee who never misses a chance to police others for clothes and tattoos. Or, say, an otherwise nice person who is dropping F-bombs over and over again.

The problem is, you’d be happy to have them stop all of it, but you have no idea how to explain basic things like this. Or you don’t want to be that grumpy person no one wants to communicate with. Or it’s something that seems not so severe and perfectly excusable. How to handle it?

Solution : In most cases, people don’t realize they’re doing or saying something wrong until someone addresses it. This is especially true for interns and young employees at their first post-college job, who didn’t have a chance to adopt professional norms. So you need to get rid of the “if I ignore it, it will go away” mindset and be clear with your employees and interns about their behavior. The key point is being kind and willing to help: frame it as something that will block them from great jobs and networking opportunities in the future – and keep in mind you’re doing them a favor by addressing their lack of professionalism as early as possible.

Dilemma #5: How Do I Admit I’ve Committed a Mistake?

You’re on the IT team, and you’ve granted access to confidential data to someone who’s not supposed to have it. Or you’ve sent your valued customer’s invoice (with a decent discount!) to another customer who’s paying regular price, and now both are not excited, to say the least. Or you’ve messed up the client database and no one can use it. Plot twist: no one knows it was you.

What to do? Silently wait until it settles up or admitting it was your fault? They say it’s good to be honest, but in real life penalties are highly likely as soon as the culprit is found. And you definitely don’t want any penalties…

Solution : It can sound hard and disappointing, but admitting the mistake is the best way to handle the problem. The sooner the problem is known, the better are chances to minimize its consequences. Besides, getting in even more trouble if they find out it was your mistake is definitely not what you’re aiming at. Be honest, and make it clear that you’ve learned an important lesson from your mistake and it’s guaranteed that you’ll never commit it again.

Dilemma #6: I Disagree with a Management Decision – What Do I Do?

Your grandboss appointed a new manager in your department, and you realize they’re the least competent person at their job. Or work you dislike and are really bad at has been assigned to you and saying no is not an option. Or your coworker overshared a bit and you’ve learned they have received a better bonus than you, despite you’ve been working harder. How to address it?

Solution : Actually, there’s no “how-to” for solving this dilemma: each case is individual. The good news is, it’s always a chance to make an important decision and improve quality of at least your work life. You can keep your disagreement to yourself and continue enjoying the benefits of your job, or suggest a better solution, or speak up as a group with your coworkers and influence the unpopular decision.

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Interview questions answered: Describe a time when you faced an ethical dilemma

Life is not easy, or fair. Employees are not always loyal, and won’t do the best thing for the company at all occasions. Actually we face temptation at work every day. A chance to date an attractive colleague , for example, though it may be only an unrealistic dream, especially when they are married. Or an opportunity to approve this or that contract, or choose a specific supplier , because it will pocket us a few extra thousands dollars.

There are many other dilemmas we can face. Should you opt for the less expensive way of doing something, though it is not environmentally friendly ? Should you sell your client a certain product, which is good enough for them, though you know you could sell them a more expensive alternative , and make more money along the way, for both you and your employer?

Facing an ethical dilemma is something normal, something you cannot entirely avoid , unless you work as a lighthouse keeper. What matters to the interviewers is your attitude. How did you eventually decide? Did you do the right thing for you, for the company, for the environment ? And what factors did you consider before making your decision? That’s why they ask you to provide an example when your ethics were tested.

Let’s have a look at 7 sample answers to this interesting interview question. I hope you will find at least one answer that resonates with your personality and experiences in my selection, one you can use in your interview. Enjoy!

7 sample answers to “Describe a time when you faced an ethical dilemma” interview question

• I faced a big one in my last job of a production manager. We were negotiating with several suppliers of clothes. One factory from Bangladesh gave us by far the best offer, and on paper they passed all environmental checks . But when our guys traveled there to inspect the production site, they found out that the company actually faked a lot of things, and polluted local rivers while producing clothing . Now, I could have said it didn’t matter. It was thousands of miles away after all, and they gave us the best offer, and they had the papers and certificates and everything. So it definitely was an ethical dilemma . But I eventually decided to reject them. What’s more, I reported them to local authorities. We chose another supplier. We paid more, our profit margin was tighter but we did not lie to our customers and did not participate on polluting the nature. I believe I made the right decision, though not everyone in the company would agree with that.
• Speaking honestly, my ethics were tested a lot in my last job . I knew that my manager was interested in me. They could get me a much better position in the company, or authorize a big raise. Just I had to go with them for a drink a few times. It was obvious and they made the offer several times. However, first and foremost, I knew it was not the right way up the career ladder , not the right thing to do. What’s more, they were married, so even from an ethical standpoint it was not correct to go with them… Hence I refused their offer repeatedly. Instead of promoting me, they decided to make it really difficult for me in work . Apparently they didn’t like losing, or maybe they weren’t used to getting refused. At the end of the day, I had to leave the company, and that’s why I am here today. But I would do the same thing again, because money is not the most important thing for me, and it never has been.

* Do not forget to check also : Full list of most common behavioral (describe a time when…) interview questions .

• This is my first job application , so I haven’t faced any ethical dilemmas at work yet. But I’ve faced them regularly during my studies… You know how it works with the exams. Someone knows the questions beforehand, and sometimes it is easy to cheat , because the professor doesn’t pay attention. I would lie to you if I said that I never cheated. But I eventually realized that it wasn’t ethically correct , and more importantly, that first and foremost I was cheating myself . I went to college to learn something. Getting the diploma was the goal, but the knowledge mattered for me more , and the connections with the community of students and teachers. Hence I decided to quit cheating, during my second year at the college. I managed to stick to my promise till the end of my studies.
• In my opinion, we face such dilemmas every day . And if we are responsible, and think about future generations as well, we should think about our daily decision. Take a typical shopping in a supermarket as an example. Will I drive there, or walk? Will I prefer local and environmentally friendly food , or will I opt for imported alternative, just because it costs less money? And how much will I buy? A lot, so we have a great selection back home, but eventually throw half of the food to rubbish , just like most US households? Or just enough, so maybe we can’t satisfy each carving of the stomach, but will end up eating and processing everything we bought? I try to think about these things, because I realize that each decision I make has an impact on the planet , and especially on the future generations. We shouldn’t be so selfish…
• Working as a purchasing agent , I faced many ethical dilemmas in my last job. You know how it works in this business, don’t you? A manager from one of the suppliers calls you and invites you for a private meeting. There’s an envelope on the table , or they make you a direct offer–you can get this and this if we win this competition. They do not always have to offer you money, but they will offer something. This is how it works, sad but true. But I never accepted such an offer, I kept my integrity . Maybe I was stupid, hard to say. Because if I accepted few of these offers I might have enough money today to not apply for jobs for the next ten years. But you cannot be someone you aren’t . I enjoy working, and I am not the kind of guy who would enjoy drinking champagne in a tropical resort for months on end… So I quit my job, and here I am, trying to start a new career with you.
• Actually I am here because of the last dilemma I faced –whether or not to stay with my present employer. When I graduated from pharmacy I was naive . I really thought that drugs help people, that pharmaceutical companies exist to help cure diseases and make the population healthier. I couldn’t be more wrong . They exist only to generate profit, lot of it. And to actually make the population sicker, or addicted to the drugs they produce, so they can make even more money each year. It is a vicious cycle, but I decided to quit the ride . Surely, they paid me well , and I have to start from scratch in a new field now. But money isn’t everything, and I could not live with myself if I stayed in the pharma business any longer.
• I faced such dilemmas each day with my last employer, and that’s exactly why I left them–because I was too weak, and I often fell for the temptation . And then I felt terrible. Let me explain it in more detail. I was selling insurance and retirement plans to clients. But we did not get the same commission from each provider. Actually one provider paid 50% more to the agents, and their product looked great on the paper. In reality, however, the clients paid a lot on hidden fees each year , and they eventually saved less money in a long run. But I still sold this plan to some clients, and I felt terrible afterwards… Here I am, honest and smarter than before, applying for a job with your company. I know that your agents get the same commission for each deal they close. I really like this payment model, because it motivates us to look for the best solution for the client, and not the one which is best for our pocket…

Ethical dilemma examples for students

If you face this question in a school admission interview , or should write as essay on the topic , as a part of an admission process, the pivotal thing remains the same: to show the right attitude, to explain your reasoning . You were tempted, no doubt, but you eventually did the right thing, or at least one you considered right . Or at least that’s what you should write or say :). To some good examples of ethical dilemmas for students belong:

• Do I pick the major I love, or do I decide according to the eventual salary and career opportunities?
• Will I help my classmate during an important exam, since I know how much it matters for them to pass, even if it entails cheating? Or will I, on the contrary, ignore them or even notify the teacher?
• Do I try to stand out in a classroom, always having the best answer ready, or do I rather back up, giving some of other schoolmates the opportunity to stand out and shine?
• Will I go to the party, to strengthen the camaraderie with my schoolmates, or will I rather skip it since it will impact my studies?

None of these situations is easy, but as long as you explain your reasoning on your essay (or in the interviews), the admission committee should be happy with your answer. Show them that you are a mature individual who sees pros and cons of their actions. You always try to do the right thing, though you may something do the wrong one–you’re still just a student at the end, trying to find your way in life…

Ready to answer this one? I hope so! Do not forget to check also the following posts, to make sure you get ready for your interview:

• Tell us about a time when you had to comply with a policy you didn’t agree with.
• What is the most important thing you learned at school?
• What makes you unique?
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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.

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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.

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.

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.

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:

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

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.

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.

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. 

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

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.

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 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.

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:

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. 

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:

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:

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.

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

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.

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:

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.

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:

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:

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.

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.

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:

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.

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

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

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:

• Background information
• Thesis statement
• Restate thesis statement
• Summarize key points
• Final thoughts on the topic
• 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 .
• Restate the thesis statement to emphasize your position.
• Summarize its main points and evidence.
• Final thoughts on the issue and any other considerations.
• Review current trends affecting people.
• Think about your personal experiences.
• Study different moral theories and principles.
• Examine classical moral dilemmas.
• 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.
• 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.
• 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.
• 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.
• 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.

What Is an Ethics Essay?

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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.

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

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.

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.

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.

12 Interesting Ethical Topics for Essay Papers

• Writing Essays
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• English Grammar
• M.Ed., Education Administration, University of Georgia
• B.A., History, Armstrong State University

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 Develop a Strong Work Ethic

• Tutti Taygerly

Hiring managers want to see your motivation, can-do attitude, and dedication.

In our early career years, it can be challenging to figure out what behaviors are and are not acceptable in different professional environments. Employers are now expecting more of entry-level workers and they want to see that you have good work ethic. So what is work ethic?

• Work ethic refers to a set of moral principles, values, and attitudes around how to act at work. It often surrounds what behaviors are commonly acceptable and appropriate (or not).
• Qualities like reliability, productivity, ownership and team support all demonstrate professional integrity, or a strong commitment to ethical behavior at work. In contrast, low-quality work, tardiness, or lack of attention to details demonstrates bad work ethic.
• If you’re new to the workplace, a good way to start is by observing. Pay attention to how your coworkers behave in meetings to gain a better understanding of their “etiquette,” as well as the communication styles of different people and teams. Another essential part of building good work ethic is adopting a “do it like you own it” attitude. You can do this by being proactive in small, but powerful, ways.

Where your work meets your life. See more from Ascend here .

Have you ever wondered about how to behave appropriately at work? Throughout your career, and especially in the early years, it’s challenging to figure out what behaviors and attitudes are and are not acceptable in different professional environments. The more you traverse companies and industries, the clearer your understanding will become. When you’re just starting out, though, it can be hard to pin down these behaviors.

• Tutti Taygerly is an executive coach and speaker with 20+ years of product design experience in Silicon Valley. Her book Make Space to Lead: Break Patterns to Find Flow and Focus on What Matters Most (Taygerly Labs, 2021) shows high achievers how to reframe their relationship to work.

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209 Ethical Dilemma Topics & Moral Issues

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

🤔 TOP 7 Ethical Debate Topics

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

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

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These essay examples and topics on Ethical Dilemma were carefully selected by the StudyCorgi editorial team. They meet our highest standards in terms of grammar, punctuation, style, and fact accuracy. Please ensure you properly reference the materials if you’re using them to write your assignment.

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Home — Blog — Topic Ideas — 200 Ethical Topics & Questions to Debate in Essay

200 Ethical Topics & Questions to Debate in Essay

Ethical topics and questions are essential for stimulating thoughtful discussions and deepening our understanding of complex moral landscapes. Ethics, the study of what is right and wrong, underpins many aspects of human life and societal functioning. Whether you're crafting an essay or preparing for a debate, delving into ethical issues allows you to explore various perspectives and develop critical thinking skills.

Ethical issues encompass a wide range of dilemmas and conflicts where individuals or societies must choose between competing moral principles. Understanding what are ethical issues involves recognizing situations that challenge our values, behaviors, and decisions. This article provides a thorough guide to ethical topics, offering insights into current ethical issues, and presenting a detailed list of questions and topics to inspire your writing and debates.

Ethical Issues Definition

Ethical issues refer to situations where a decision, action, or policy conflicts with ethical principles or societal norms. These dilemmas often involve a choice between competing values or interests, such as fairness vs. efficiency, privacy vs. security, or individual rights vs. collective good. Ethical issues arise in various fields, including medicine, business, technology, and the environment. They challenge individuals and organizations to consider the moral implications of their actions and to seek solutions that align with ethical standards. Understanding ethical issues requires an analysis of both the potential benefits and the moral costs associated with different courses of action.

⭐ Top 10 Ethical Topics [2024]

• Climate Change Responsibility
• Data Privacy in the Digital Age
• Genetic Engineering
• Euthanasia and Assisted Suicide
• Corporate Social Responsibility
• AI and Automation
• Animal Rights
• Freedom of Speech vs. Hate Speech
• Healthcare Accessibility
• Human Rights in the Age of Globalization

Ethics Essay Writing Guide

Writing an ethics essay involves more than just presenting facts; it requires a thoughtful analysis of moral principles and their application to real-world scenarios. Understanding ethical topics and what constitutes ethical issues is essential for crafting a compelling essay. Here’s a guide to help you address current ethical issues effectively:

• Choose a Clear Topic: Select an ethical issue that is both interesting and relevant. Understanding the definition of ethical issues will help you narrow down your choices.
• Research Thoroughly: Gather information from credible sources to support your arguments. Knowing what ethical issues are and how they are defined can provide a solid foundation for your research.
• Present Multiple Perspectives: Show an understanding of different viewpoints on the issue. This will demonstrate your grasp of the complexity of current ethical issues.
• Use Real-world Examples: Illustrate your points with concrete examples. This not only strengthens your arguments but also helps to explain ethical topics in a relatable way.
• Structure Your Essay: Organize your essay with a clear introduction, body, and conclusion. A well-structured essay makes it easier to present your analysis of ethical issues.
• Provide a Balanced Argument: Weigh the pros and cons to offer a well-rounded discussion. Addressing various aspects of current ethical issues will make your essay more comprehensive.
• Conclude Thoughtfully: Summarize your findings and reflect on the broader implications of the issue. This is where you can discuss the impact of ethical issues on society and future considerations.

By following this guide, you will be able to write an ethics essay that not only presents facts but also offers a deep and nuanced analysis of ethical topics.

Selecting the Right Research Topic in Ethics

Choosing the right research topic in ethics can be challenging, but it is crucial for writing an engaging and insightful essay. Here are some tips:

• Relevance: Ensure the topic is relevant to current societal issues.
• Interest: Pick a topic that genuinely interests you.
• Scope: Choose a topic with enough scope for research and debate.
• Complexity: Aim for a topic that is complex enough to allow for in-depth analysis.
• Availability of Sources: Make sure there are enough resources available to support your research.

What Style Should an Ethics Essay Be Written In?

When writing an ethics essay, it is essential to adopt a formal and objective style. Clarity and conciseness are paramount, as the essay should avoid unnecessary jargon and overly complex sentences that might obscure the main points. Maintaining objectivity is crucial; presenting arguments without bias ensures that the discussion remains balanced and fair. Proper citations are vital to give credit to sources and uphold academic integrity.

Engaging the reader through a logical flow of ideas is important, as it helps sustain interest and facilitates a better understanding of the ethical topics being discussed. Additionally, the essay should be persuasive, making compelling arguments supported by evidence to effectively convey the analysis of moral issues. By following these guidelines, the essay will not only be informative but also impactful in its examination of ethical dilemmas.

List of Current Ethical Issues

• The impact of social media on privacy.
• Ethical considerations in genetic cloning.
• Balancing national security with individual rights.
• Privacy concerns in the digital age.
• The ethics of biohacking.
• Ethical considerations in space exploration.
• The ethics of surveillance and data collection by governments and corporations.
• Ethical issues in the use of facial recognition technology.
• The ethical implications of autonomous vehicles.
• The morality of animal testing in scientific research.
• Ethical concerns in the gig economy.
• The impact of climate change on ethical business practices.
• The ethics of consumer data usage by companies.
• Ethical dilemmas in end-of-life care and assisted suicide.
• The role of ethics in the development of renewable energy sources.

Ethical Issues in Psychology

• Confidentiality vs. duty to warn in therapy.
• Ethical dilemmas in psychological research.
• The use of placebo in psychological treatment.
• Ethical issues in the treatment of vulnerable populations.
• The ethics of involuntary commitment and treatment.
• Dual relationships and conflicts of interest in therapy.
• The use of deception in psychological experiments.
• The ethics of cognitive enhancement drugs.
• Ethical considerations in online therapy and telepsychology.
• Cultural competence and ethical practice in psychology.
• The ethics of forensic psychology and assessment.
• The impact of social media on mental health and ethical practice.
• The use of emerging technologies in psychological treatment.
• Ethical issues in the diagnosis and treatment of mental disorders.
• The role of ethics in psychological testing and assessment.

Ethical Debate Topics

• Is capital punishment morally justified?
• Should organ donation be mandatory?
• The ethics of artificial intelligence in warfare.
• Is euthanasia ethically permissible?
• Should human cloning be allowed?
• The morality of animal rights vs. human benefit.
• Is it ethical to use animals for entertainment?
• Should there be limits on free speech?
• The ethics of genetic modification in humans.
• Is it ethical to have mandatory vaccinations?
• The morality of government surveillance programs.
• Should assisted reproductive technologies be regulated?
• The ethics of using performance-enhancing drugs in sports.
• Should healthcare be considered a human right?
• The ethical implications of wealth inequality and redistribution.

Medical Ethics Topics

• Ariel Case Study: a Comprehensive Analysis
• The Case for and Against Daylight Saving Time
• Technological Advancements in Medical, Educational & Other Fields
• The Language of Medicine
• Medical Ethics: Beneficence and Non-maleficence
• Overview of What Sonography is
• The Use of Steroids and HGH in Sports
• Media and The Scientific Community Treat People Like Tools
• Informative Speech for Organ Donation
• Medicine in Our World
• The Origin of Medical Terminology
• Preserving Sight: My Journey to Becoming an Optometrist
• Case of Dr. Eric Poehlman's Ethical Violation
• Should The NHS Treat Patients with Self-Inflicted Illnesses
• My Education as a Medical Technologist

Ethics Essay Topics on Business

• Ethics Report on Panasonic Corporation
• Case Study on The ACS Code of Morals
• Differences in Business Ethics Among East Asian Countries
• Business Ethics in Sports
• Business Ethics in Different Countries, and Its Importance
• Selfless Service and Its Impact on Social Change
• Challenges in Doing Business Across The Border
• The Importance of Ethics in Advertising
• Ethical Issues that Businesses Face
• Profitability of Business Ethics
• The Law and Morality in Business
• How Ethnic Variances Effect Worldwide Business
• The Ethical Practices in The Business Sector in the Modern Economy
• Key Responsibilities and Code of Ethics in Engineering Profession
• Analysis of The Code of Ethics in Walmart

Ethics Essay Topics on Environment

• Understanding The Importance of Keeping Animals Safe
• The Importance of Treating Animals with Respect
• CWU and The Issue of Chimpanzee Captivity
• The Process of Suicidal Reproduction in the Animal World
• Analysis of The Egg Industry to Understand The Causes of The High Prices in Eggs
• The Dangers of Zoos
• Importance for Animals to Be Free from Harm by Humans
• Should Animals Be Killed for The Benefit of Humans
• Reasons Why Genetic Engineering Should Be Banned
• What I Learned in Ethics Class: Environmental Ethics
• Nanotechnology and Environment
• Review of The Environmental Protection Act
• How The Idea of Preservation of Nature Can Benefit from Environmental Ethics
• The Relation and Controversy Between American Diet and Environmental Ethics
• Green Technology

Work Ethics Essay Topics

• The impact of workplace surveillance on employee privacy.
• Ethical considerations in remote work.
• Discrimination in the workplace.
• An Examination of Addiction to Work in The Protestant Work Ethic
• The Work Ethic of The Millennials
• My Understanding of The Proper Environment in the Workplace
• Social Responsibility & Ethics Management Program in Business
• The Maternity Benefits Act, 1961
• The Issue of Stealing in The Workplace
• Chinese Work Management and Business Identity
• Ethical Issues of Using Social Media at the Workplace
• The Teleological Ethical Theories
• Learning Journal on Ethical Conflicts, Environmental Issues, and Social Responsibilities
• Social Media at Workplace: Ethics and Influence
• Ethical Issue of Employees Stealing and Whistleblowing

Ethics Essay Topics on Philosophy

• A Critical Analysis of Ethical Dilemmas in Education and Beyond
• Overview of What an Ethical Dilemma is
• The Implications of Exculpatory Language
• Ethical Dilemmas in End-of-life Decision Making
• What I Learned in Ethics Class: Integrating Ethics in Aviation
• Doing What is Right is not Always Popular: Philosophy of Ethics
• An Analysis of Public Trust and Corporate Ethics
• Ethical Concerns of Beauty Pageants
• Simone De Beauvoir’s Contribution to Philosophy and Ethics
• The Impact on Decision-making and Life Choices
• Importance and Improvement of Personal Ethics
• Personal Ethics and Integrity in Our Life
• Analysis of The Philosophical Concept of Virtue Ethics
• Understanding Moral Action
• How to Become a Gentleman
• A Call for Emphasis on Private Morality and Virtue Teaching
• A Positive Spin on Ethical Marketing in The Gambling Industry
• An Overview of The Ethical Dilemma in a Personal Case
• Bioethical Principles and Professional Responsibilities
• Ethical Considerations in Counseling Adolescents
• Ethical Dilemma in College Life
• Ethical Theories: Deontology and Utilitarianism
• Issues of Fraud, Ethics, and Regulation in Healthcare
• Navigating Ethical Dimensions in Education
• The Ethical Landscape of Advanced Technology
• Research Paper on The Ethical Issue of Publishing The Pentagon Papers
• The Trolley Problem: an Ethical Dilemma
• Analysis of "To The Bitter End" Case Study
• Ethical Theories: Virtue and Utilitarian Ethics
• Feminist Ethics: Deconstructing Gender and Morality
• Is Deadpool a Hero Research Paper
• My Moral and Ethical Stance
• The Concept of Ethics and The Pursuit of Happiness
• The Ethics of Graphic Photojournalism
• The Quintessence of Justice: a Critical Evaluation of Juror 11's Role
• The Wolf of Wall Street: Ethics of Greed
• The Importance of Ethics in Our Daily Life
• Analysis of The Envy Emotion and My Emotional Norms
• The Topic of Animal Rights in Relation to The Virtue Theory

Ethics Essay Topics on Science

• The Cause of Cancer as Illustrated in a Bioethics Study
• Bioethical Issues Related to Genetic Engineering
• Ethical Issues in Stem Cell Research
• The Role of Ethics Committees in Biomedical Research
• The Legal and Bioethical Aspects of Personalised Medicine Based on Genetic Composition
• The Ethics of Clinical Trials: Ensuring Informed Consent and Patient Safety
• Ethical Challenges in Neuroethics: Brain Privacy and Cognitive Liberty
• Gene Therapy: Ethical Dilemmas and Social Implications
• Overview of Bioethics The Trigger of Contentious Moral Topics
• The Progression of Bioethics and Its Importance
• The Impact of Artificial Intelligence on Medical Ethics
• The Drawbacks of Free Healthcare: Economic, Quality, and Access Issues
• Bioethical Issues in My Sister’s Keeper: Having Your Autonomy Taken to Save Your Sibling
• The Ethics of Biotechnology in Agriculture: GMOs and Food Safety
• Ethical Considerations in Organ Donation and Transplantation

List of Ethical Questions for Students

Exploring ethical topics is crucial for students to develop critical thinking and moral reasoning. Here is a comprehensive list of ethical questions for students to discuss and debate. These topics cover a wide range of issues, encouraging thoughtful discussion and deeper understanding.

Good Ethical Questions for Discussion

• Is it ethical to eat meat?
• Should parents have the right to genetically modify their children?
• Is it ever acceptable to lie?
• Should schools monitor students' social media activity?
• Is it ethical to use animals in scientific research?
• Should companies be allowed to patent human genes?
• Is it right to impose cultural values on others?
• Should the government regulate internet content?
• Is it ethical to have designer babies?
• Should wealthy countries help poorer nations?
• Is it ethical to keep animals in zoos?
• Should there be limits to freedom of speech?
• Is it right to use artificial intelligence in decision-making?
• Should we prioritize privacy over security?
• Is it ethical to manipulate emotions through advertising?

Moral Questions to Debate

• Is genetic modification in humans ethical?
• Should vaccinations be mandatory?
• Is government surveillance justified?
• Is it ethical to use performance-enhancing drugs in sports?
• Is wealth inequality morally acceptable?
• Should education be free for everyone?
• Is it ethical to allow autonomous robots to make life-and-death decisions?

Ethical topics and questions are a rich field for exploration and discussion. Examining these issues, we can better understand the moral principles that guide our actions and decisions. Whether you're writing an essay or preparing for a debate, this comprehensive list of ethical topics and questions will help you engage with complex moral dilemmas and develop your critical thinking skills.

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Ethical Dilemma Essay | Essay on Ethical Dilemma for Students and Children in English

February 13, 2024 by Prasanna

Ethical Dilemma Essay:  Our societal, professional, and personal values get affected by ethical dilemmas. One may think that their decision was good at that time, but now it cannot be the same. Many of our values get affected by time.

The ethical dilemma involves a clear mental clash in a situation that often makes you choose between two things. Between moral or immoral ways – a person has to choose only one way from two of them. If we obey one decision being in an ethical dilemma, we will bring about disobey.

You can also find more  Essay Writing  articles on events, persons, sports, technology and many more.

Long and Short Essays on Ethical Dilemma for Students and Kids in English

We provide students with essay samples on a long essay of 500 words and a short essay of 150 words on the topic of an ethical dilemma for reference.

Long Essay on Ethical Dilemma 500 Words in English

Long Essay on Ethical Dilemma is usually given to classes 7, 8, 9, and 10.

A situation that often involves a clear mental clash between two things or decisions is known as an ethical dilemma. If we obey one decision being in an ethical dilemma, we will bring about disobey. An ethical dilemma is often also termed as a moral dilemma. The situation one be in is made too difficult by an ethical dilemma.

Between moral or immoral ways – a person has to choose only one way from two of them. In our daily life, ethical dilemmas are seen everywhere. However, the experience of ethical dilemmas varies from person to person. In real life, good values participate in everyone’s life. Everyone just needs to oversee and take a look after our moral values and our desires.

Basically, to view moral problems, there are three conditions that must be available for particular circumstances. The primary circumstance happens when an individual name the “operator” settles the ideal strategy. Circumstances are not considered ethical dilemma where it does not require a decision. The second condition for ethical dilemmas is the look over of certain distinctive strategies. Third, regardless of what game-plan is taken in a moral situation, some moral guideline is traded off.

In any case, the ethics of care focuses on the moral hugeness of tending in a general sense about the association to the general population’s necessities for whom we accept the risk. A record of significant quality that adversaries traditional approaches and hypothetical frameworks about consideration the rights, value, sensible reason, commitments, and independence.

Our societal, professional, and personal values get affected by Ethical dilemmas. One may think that their decision was good at that time, but now it cannot be the same. Many of our values get affected by time. Taking the social costs into account, as the second person after parents, a child believes most is their teachers. In India, the teachers are considered the second parent of the children.

You can now access more Essay Writing on this topic and much more.

The member of society from which the other society members expects a lot are teachers. Teachers are provided with a high level of education and are professionally respected. Teachers protect them if they are in any problem, and they also teach them like their parents.

If a student hesitates from parents, share his problem but can communicate with the teacher. It is said that the students can never get harmed by their teachers. Education is described as a moral enterprise, and many of the professional dilemmas teachers encounter have an ethical aspect. Parents and students trust a lot on the teachers.

To conclude, the decision that one should be aware that students are the best and if one would have made this decision at the time when it could save their future. Students must be aware of teachers that care about them. The teachers have the ability to immediately sense hypocrisy and make students aware of the differences between authentic behaviour and snobbish.

Taking in regard to what students can see and hear around them is important with the moral impact on students. But now we think that we should not be selfish; rather, the student has the power to do anything. So, the future would be much better if the decision is made at the correct time.

Short Essay on Ethical Dilemma 150 Words in English

Short Essay on Ethical Dilemma is usually given to classes 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, and 6.

The ethical dilemma involves a clear mental clash in a situation that often makes you choose between two things. Between moral or immoral ways – a person has to choose only one way from two of them. If we obey one decision being in an ethical dilemma, we will bring about disobey. An ethical dilemma is often also termed as a moral dilemma.

Our societal, professional, and personal values get affected by Ethical dilemmas. One may think that their decision was good at that time, but now it can not be the same. Many of our values get affected by time.

To conclude, the decision that one should be aware that students are the best and if one would have made this decision at the time when it could save their future. But now we think that we should not be selfish; rather, the student has the power to do anything. So, the future would be much better if the decision is made at the correct time.

10 Lines on Ethical Dilemma Essay in English

1. Having a code of conduct makes a more comfortable time handling ethical issues. 2. Ethical dilemmas can be solved by modelling behaviour so that people will watch how the role model work and they can act the same way. 3. An ethical dilemma can also occur when a person is not ready to disclose his/her decision or action in advance. 4. An ethical dilemma occurs when a person doesn’t know to recuse themselves in the case of a conflict of interest. 5. Getting the consent of other key people about disclosing any kind of conflict might prevent a moral dilemma. 6. A person being in an ethical dilemma must try to think beyond the two choices of acceding and refuse. A third alternative that meets the other person’s objects can be considered ethical. 7. An ethical dilemma can be deal with another an alternate method of avoiding lying by avoiding the question in the first place, but this should be followed throughout your life. 8. An ethical dilemma can be dealt with by focusing on the issue rather than focusing on a particular person. 9. Stress plays a huge advantage in the ethical dilemma and confuses your approach to deal with it. 10. Documentation of key matters is critical to take an ethical stand on a circumstance.

FAQ’s on Ethical Dilemma Essay

Question 1. What are some ethical dilemma examples?

Answer:  Some examples of an ethical dilemma is taking credits for others’ work or utilizing inside knowledge for your profit, or offering a client a worse product for your own profit.

Question 2. What causes an ethical dilemma?

Answer:  A feeling of pressure to do immoral things to the boss when one feels that they cannot point out their co-workers’ bad behaviours or superior.

Question 3. What are the four ethical dilemmas?

Answer:  The four ethical dilemmas are: individual vs community, short-long-term, truth vs loyalty, and justice vs mercy.

Question 4. What are three moral dilemmas?

Answer:  Among the several types of moral dilemma, three are: obligation dilemma, epistemic dilemmas, and self-imposed dilemma.

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Wharton@Work

September 2021 |  Nano Tools  |  Leadership

Confronting Ethical & Moral Dilemmas: Don’t Go It Alone

Nano Tools for Leaders® are fast, effective leadership tools that you can learn and start using in less than 15 minutes — with the potential to significantly impact your success as a leader and the engagement and productivity of the people you lead.

Strengthen your ability to confront ethically questionable acts or wrongdoings by bringing in allies.

According to a 2021 report from the Ethics and Compliance Initiative, 63 percent of middle managers were pressured by bosses to violate their firm's ethical code of conduct in 2020. Over half of middle and upper managers observed ethical misconduct, while 79 percent of employees experienced retaliation for reporting it. Well-run corporate compliance programs and healthy corporate cultures can reduce this problem significantly, but these are hard to sustain across large enterprises over long periods of time. And too many companies give only lip service to both.

When you are faced with a moral or ethical dilemma at work, it’s common to believe that your choices are limited to three less-than-optimal options: remain silent, single-handedly confront the perpetrator(s), or report him or her (and perhaps the whole team) to a higher authority. For those who are conflict averse — and those who don’t feel options two and three are viable for other reasons — the first option is the most appealing. But there is another way.

In fact, believing you have to handle this situation alone, no matter which option you choose, violates the Conscience Code — a set of 10 rules developed to help you lead with your values while advancing your career. Specifically, Rule #6 explains the importance of leveraging the Power of Two: an ally can bolster your confidence, help you think more clearly about next steps, and keep you grounded when people try to make it look as if you are the problem. In fact, when it comes to resisting pressure from peers and authority to “just go along with it” or “look the other way,” 1 + 1 = much more than 2. Psychologists report that the best workplace allies are those who help you better understand the situation you are in and then provide the confidence boost you need to manage it. For ideas about when and how to leverage alliances, see the Action Steps below.

Action Steps

When you face wrongdoing at work, instead of choosing one of the less-than-optimal options described above, consider testing out your viewpoint in private with one other person, perhaps a quieter one who might be open to hearing your perspective and creating an alliance. If that is too risky, consider reaching out to the person who recruited you, a mentor, or a colleague who had been at the firm longer than you. If you are a woman or minority, research shows that you may find strength by conferring with one another in the face of situations involving sexism or racism.

Here are three ideas for leveraging the Power of Two:

• Deal with peer pressure. Another voice speaking truth will help you feel less isolated in your position and more confident in asserting your point of view. Professor Solomon Asch’s work on peer pressure showed that when everyone in a group says that “X is true,” the final holdout will go along with them more often than you might expect — even when they know that X is not true. This finding highlights the power of social contagion: a strong group can make dissenters too embarrassed to go against the crowd, or even make them actually believe something they knew previously to be false. In a follow-up experiment, Asch gave his subjects an ally or “true partner” — one voice in the room that spoke the correct rather than the incorrect answer. This caused subjects’ willingness to tell the truth to jump from 65 percent to 95 percent.
• Stand up to authority. Stanley Milgram’s infamous power-of-authority studies investigated why ordinary German people had gone along with the Holocaust in World War II. His experiments demonstrated that ordinary citizens could be pressured into delivering what appeared to be lethal levels of electric shocks to human “victims.” In one version of the experiment, Milgram created teams of three to deliver the shocks, with each team including two “dissenters” who were instructed to quit after a specified number of low-level shocks were “delivered.” With the two dissenters breaking off during the process, 90 percent terminated the experiment prior to the lethal shock level — with 25 of them quitting at a level less than half that. The takeaway? Having allies at your side can empower you to act on your values more quickly and decisively than relying on your inner resources alone. And having supportive peers may be especially important for those with more accommodating and conflict-averse personalities.
• Gain a fresh perspective. Professor Philip Zimbardo’s troubled Stanford Prison Experiment, in which he placed randomly selected undergraduate students in roles of “guards” and “prisoners,” attempted to prove that social roles and systemic pressures can distort the behavior of otherwise normal people. Although the guards’ behavior became troubling very quickly, it took an outsider to bring an end to the out-of-control proceedings. PhD student Christina Maslach was so disturbed by what she saw that she persuaded Zimbardo to end his experiment immediately on ethical grounds, applying both common-sense morality and the norms of social science. Research on ethical conflicts revealed numerous instances of ordinary people swept up in wrongdoing by peers and bosses — but who were saved by a perceptive spouse or friend who could see more clearly than they what was happening. The Power of Two thus extends to people completely outside your workplace “bubble” — people who can point out how far you have strayed from your ethical commitments and bring you back to your senses before it is too late.

How Leaders Use It

By now, the story of charismatic 19-year-old Stanford undergraduate Elizabeth Holmes and her idea for a new approach to blood testing is well known. What’s often missing from tales of the Theranos scandal are Tyler Shultz and Erika Cheung, two twentysomething employees who were faced with immense pressure from their superiors and peers to go along with what was clearly a massive fraud. Their story demonstrates the power of an ally when you encounter real-world conflicts.

New hires Shultz and Cheung worked together on a team that was testing the accuracy of the Edison — Holmes’s blood testing machine. When they noticed that data showing results that deviated too far from expected performance never made it into reports, they were told that it was standard practice to ignore these “outliers.” They also became concerned that the firm was misreporting a variety of metrics on the Edison’s accuracy for different types of blood tests, and that, compared with accurate results from traditional machines, the Edison failed. When Shultz and Cheung pushed back, they were admonished for not being “team players.” Finally, after their superiors knowingly submitted false data to regulators, Shultz turned in an anonymous complaint to investigators and sent an email to Holmes with details of his concerns (many of which came from Cheung). Berated once again, the two decided to quit. Cheung filed a formal complaint with the federal Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services about the misconduct she had observed. The complaint triggered a formal investigation, which, in combination with a series of front-page investigative stories in the Wall Street Journal (sourced in part by Shultz and Cheung) and Shultz’s anonymous filing with regulators, brought an end to Theranos. Shultz and Cheung leveraged the Power of Two, feeding off each other’s energies; advancing each other’s strategic thinking; and providing independent, credible information from the inner workings of a corrupt organization that could be used as evidence by the legal system.

Contributor to This Nano Tool

G. Richard Shell, Thomas Gerrity Professor and a professor of Legal Studies & Business Ethics and Management, The Wharton School

Knowledge in Action: Related Executive Education programs

Richard Shell teaches in Negotiation and Influence: Making Deals and Strategy Work , Advanced Management Program , and Executive Development Program .

About Nano Tools:

Nano Tools for Leaders® was conceived and developed by Deb Giffen, MCC, director of Custom Programs at Wharton Executive Education. Nano Tools for Leaders® is a collaboration between joint sponsors Wharton Executive Education and Wharton’s Center for Leadership and Change Management. This collaboration is led by Professors Michael Useem and John Paul MacDuffie.

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Ethical Dilemma: Example, Problem, and Solution Essay

• To find inspiration for your paper and overcome writer’s block
• As a source of information (ensure proper referencing)
• As a template for you assignment

Introduction

Example of an ethical dilemma, moral dilemmas, ethical steps, ethical dilemma: conclusion.

An ethical dilemma is a situation where people are forced to make a choice between two options available to them. It is necessary to explain that regardless of the option an individual takes both options have negative consequences.

However, the individual chooses an option that have few negative impacts on the event or people involved (Adair 2013). This essay uses an ethical dilemma case study to illustrate the issues involved in this context and how they are managed without causing a lot of harm to all the parties involved.

Engrave Computers is a technology based company that specializes in producing software that enable managers to monitor the performance of employees and predict their productivity. This software also gives companies opportunities to explore various issues that affect the performance of employees and propose solutions to these challenges. I am the manager of this company and Ben has been very influential in developing this software.

The company does not demand that employees should hand over their production rights and other patent requirements to it; in fact, it encourages its workers to be creative and invent software that will boost its sales and retain the right to distribute, sell, share or change the particulars of their inventions (Thomas 2010).

The company gives workers this privilege to motivate them to continue rendering their services without feeling the company or managers are misusing their talents.

The company is registered to take part in an international exhibition where the winner is awarded a quarter of its working capital and offered a free one year advertising space in an international broadcasting channel. I am confident that Ben will make the company proud since he has always won this contest.

On the other hand, this company experienced significant losses last year because most employees reported to work late or were absent without seeking permission from the human resource management (Pollock 2011).

As a result, an urgent meeting was convened and it was agreed that absenteeism and lateness will not be tolerated and anyone culpable will be suspended for three months. Workers were requested to read the new regulation and append their signatures to show that they agreed on the terms stated by the human resource department.

Last week the company secretary was suspended since she failed to observe this regulation and this was a warning that no one will be spared. Ben reported to work yesterday after being absent for four days and claims that he was not feeling well. Everybody is keen watching what will happen to him as pressure continues to pile on the human resource department to take corrective measures against him (Saaty 2011).

However, this department felt that this case was beyond its abilities and forwarded the matter to my department. I forwarded the issue to the board of directors but I was directed to solve it within 24 hours.

This situation was not as easy as it looked due to the considerations that I had to observe before taking any step. There were challenges regarding all alternatives available to me at that moment. First, being a manager means I had to a stake step that would ensure the operations if the company would not be affected. This means that the operations of the company would go on despite the measures I would have taken.

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. Thirdly, it was necessary to show employees that I was committed to implement the policies regarding lateness and absenteeism (Arthur 2009).

The human resource department had suspended the secretary and thus I was supposed to follow the same path. Lastly, I was supposed to ensure that the company participates in the oncoming exhibition since it had already confirmed its participation.

The policies of this company were changed to ensure that an employee who comes late is suspended for three months. This was motivated by the poor performance witnessed in the last financial year and no one was willing to experience another financial crisis. Therefore, I suspended Ben for three months to ensure other workers become obedient and follow the regulations provided to them.

The following are ethical considerations that guided me to take this step. This decision was motivated by the need to ensure that no one commits this mistake against regardless of the position of an individual in the company (Haberfeld 2012). Ben was an indispensable employee but his actions were considered to have economic, legal and social impacts on the company and other workers.

First, the suspended secretary would have complained of double standards if I would have ignored suspending Ben. This would have led to a legal tussle between her and the company. Secondly, other workers would have noticed that Ben was not punished and this could crate differences among them (McCarthy 2011).

Thirdly, I knew that we were going to miss the prestigious prize on the scheduled event; however, this was not as important as other activities of this company. In addition, the occasion is held after every five years and this means that it would have significant impacts on this company.

Therefore, my decision was economically responsible since it focused on the long term gains the company will make if employees are punctual and attend all activities as the company directed them (Baaske 2009).

The company will never make losses due to absenteeism or lateness even though it was going to miss the award. In addition, it was ethical since it showed that I was promoting professional discipline in the company. It is advisable to follow the rules and policies regarding work to ensure that workers respect with them without favoring some workers (Farrell 2012).

The decision also promoted respect for the rule of justice and equality at the company. It is necessary to explain that the secretary was suspended after failing to meet the requirements of the company; therefore, it would have been very unfair to exempt Ben from punishments yet they are all employees of this company.

Even though, I had the option of punishing him after his presentation this was not a logical alternative since it was bound to affect him during that period (Harrison 2010). Therefore, my decision was appropriate and I will hot hesitate to suspend another worker in case the individual violates the policies of this company.

Ethical dilemmas are common in life but individuals must make wise choices that will not affect their relationships or work. It is necessary to ensure that they make informed choices and if possible they should consult their friends before taking any step. These dilemmas put our faith and commitments to test; therefore, they should be approached very carefully.

Adair, J 2013, Decision Making and Problem Solving: Creating Success, AMACOM Books, New York.

Arthur, W 2009, The Thinking Manager’s Toolbox: Effective Processes for Problem Solving and Decision Making, South-Western College, Connecticut.

Baaske, K 2009, Arguments and Arguing: The Products and Process of Human Decision Making, Prentice Hall, New Jersey.

Farrell, O 2012, Business Ethics: Ethical Decision Making and Cases, Cengage Learning, South-Western, Connecticut.

Haberfeld, W 2012 , Police Leadership: Organizational and Managerial Decision Making Process, Prentice Hall, New Jersey.

Harrison, F 2010, The Managerial Decision-Making Process, South-Western College, Connecticut.

McCarthy, B 2011, Justice, Crime, and Ethics, Hastings House, Washington.

Pollock, J 2011, Ethical Dilemmas and Decisions in Criminal Justice: Ethics in Crime and Justice, Prentice Hall, New Jersey.

Saaty, T 2011, Theory and Applications of the Analytic Network Process: Decision Making with Benefits, Opportunities, Costs, and Risks, Wiley, New York.

Thomas, S 2010, Theory and Applications of the Analytic Network Process: Decision Making with Benefits, Opportunities, Costs, and Risks, Prentice Hall, New Jersey.

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IvyPanda. (2019, June 4). Ethical Dilemma: Example, Problem, and Solution. https://ivypanda.com/essays/ethical-dilemma-5/

"Ethical Dilemma: Example, Problem, and Solution." IvyPanda , 4 June 2019, ivypanda.com/essays/ethical-dilemma-5/.

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IvyPanda . 2019. "Ethical Dilemma: Example, Problem, and Solution." June 4, 2019. https://ivypanda.com/essays/ethical-dilemma-5/.

1. IvyPanda . "Ethical Dilemma: Example, Problem, and Solution." June 4, 2019. https://ivypanda.com/essays/ethical-dilemma-5/.

Bibliography

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Ethical Dilemmas and Human Nature in H.G. Wells’ the Island of Dr. Moreau

This essay about H.G. Wells’ “The Island of Dr. Moreau” explores the ethical dilemmas and human nature depicted in the novel. It examines Dr. Moreau’s controversial experiments, the struggle of the hybrid Beast Folk, and the consequences of playing god. The essay discusses the novel’s reflection on scientific advancements and the moral responsibilities of scientists, highlighting the relevance of these themes in contemporary society.

How it works

H.G. Wells’ “The Island of Dr. Moreau” delves deep into the complexities of ethical dilemmas and the darker facets of human nature. This 1896 science fiction classic examines the dire consequences of unrestrained scientific experimentation. Through the narrative of Edward Prendick, a shipwreck survivor who stumbles upon a mysterious island, Wells prompts readers to ponder the limits of human knowledge, the morality of playing god, and the true essence of humanity.

Central to the novel is Dr. Moreau, an exiled scientist notorious for his controversial vivisection experiments.

On his secluded island, Moreau continues his work, creating human-animal hybrids through excruciating surgical procedures. His aim is to craft beings that emulate humans in appearance and behavior, yet his creations are grotesque caricatures of humanity, torn between their animal instincts and imposed human traits. Moreau’s relentless pursuit of scientific advancement, devoid of empathy, underscores the perils of dehumanizing scientific endeavors and the moral quandaries they present.

Edward Prendick, the story’s protagonist, serves as the readers’ guide through the horrors of Moreau’s experiments. Initially, Prendick sees Moreau as a brilliant yet eccentric scientist. However, as he uncovers the island’s grim realities, his view shifts to one of horror and revulsion. Prendick’s transformation from curiosity to abhorrence mirrors the readers’ own grappling with the ethical implications of Moreau’s actions. Through Prendick’s eyes, Wells critiques the concept of scientific progress devoid of moral consideration and empathy.

A prominent theme in “The Island of Dr. Moreau” is the fluidity of human identity and the tenuous line separating humans from animals. The hybrid creatures, referred to as the Beast Folk, struggle to follow the “Law” set by Moreau, designed to suppress their animalistic tendencies. Despite their efforts, the Beast Folk frequently revert to their primal instincts, highlighting the persistent and indomitable nature of their animal origins. This struggle raises questions about the fundamental nature of humanity and whether it can be altered through external means. Wells suggests that, despite scientific advancements, the core essence of beings remains resistant to change.

Moreover, the novel scrutinizes the consequences of playing god and the ethical boundaries of scientific experimentation. Moreau’s god-like role on the island, where he exercises absolute power over his creations, serves as a cautionary tale about the hubris of humans attempting to control and manipulate life. The pain and suffering inflicted on the animals in the name of scientific progress underscore the ethical costs of such endeavors. Moreau’s eventual demise at the hands of his own creations symbolizes the inevitable backlash against those who overstep their bounds and fail to respect the natural order.

“The Island of Dr. Moreau” also mirrors the anxieties of its time, particularly regarding rapid scientific advancements and the ethical questions they raised. The late 19th century was marked by significant scientific discoveries, with Darwin’s theory of evolution challenging traditional views of human origins. Wells taps into these contemporary debates, using the island as a microcosm to explore the potential ramifications of evolutionary theory and the ethical responsibilities of scientists. The novel’s enduring relevance lies in its ability to provoke thought about the moral dimensions of scientific progress and the potential consequences of pushing boundaries without ethical considerations.

In conclusion, H.G. Wells’ “The Island of Dr. Moreau” is a thought-provoking narrative that examines the ethical complexities of scientific experimentation and the nature of humanity. Through the character of Dr. Moreau and the plight of the Beast Folk, Wells critiques the dehumanizing potential of science when divorced from morality and empathy. The novel’s exploration of identity, the consequences of playing god, and the ethical boundaries of scientific progress remains pertinent in contemporary discussions about the role of science in society. As we continue to navigate the implications of scientific advancements, “The Island of Dr. Moreau” serves as a timeless reminder of the need for ethical vigilance and the enduring question of what it means to be human.

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Ethical Dilemmas and Human Nature in H.G. Wells' The Island of Dr. Moreau. (2024, Jul 16). Retrieved from https://papersowl.com/examples/ethical-dilemmas-and-human-nature-in-h-g-wells-the-island-of-dr-moreau/

"Ethical Dilemmas and Human Nature in H.G. Wells' The Island of Dr. Moreau." PapersOwl.com , 16 Jul 2024, https://papersowl.com/examples/ethical-dilemmas-and-human-nature-in-h-g-wells-the-island-of-dr-moreau/

PapersOwl.com. (2024). Ethical Dilemmas and Human Nature in H.G. Wells' The Island of Dr. Moreau . [Online]. Available at: https://papersowl.com/examples/ethical-dilemmas-and-human-nature-in-h-g-wells-the-island-of-dr-moreau/ [Accessed: 17 Jul. 2024]

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PapersOwl.com. (2024). Ethical Dilemmas and Human Nature in H.G. Wells' The Island of Dr. Moreau . [Online]. Available at: https://papersowl.com/examples/ethical-dilemmas-and-human-nature-in-h-g-wells-the-island-of-dr-moreau/ [Accessed: 17-Jul-2024]

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Master of Social Work (MSW)

Why Are Ethics Important in Social Work?

How would you address these ethical dilemmas?

• Should a case manager accept a Facebook friend request from their client?
• A school counselor has been helping a student overcome their social anxiety, and the student’s parents want to know how it’s going. Should the social worker give them details?
• As they get to know their clients, should therapists conduct Google searches for information?

Social workers find themselves in situations like these each day, and the right answers aren’t always clear. The National Association of Social Workers (NASW) states that these professionals should embrace basic values, ethical principles, and ethical standards as they carry out their responsibilities. 1 But who determines what ethical means when an issue has no precedent?

Whenever they have a question or concern, those in the field turn to the NASW Code of Ethics, which provides information to guide their conduct. 1 It takes an intricate understanding of the Code of Ethics to implement it successfully, and most professionals gain this expertise in advanced degree programs such as an online MSW .

Ethics Inform Social Work Practice

The issues listed above are only three of the countless scenarios that social workers face, and each person might handle them differently. While one person might ignore the friend request, for example, another might accept the request but limit the client’s access. Most social workers know that it’s imperative to maintain personal boundaries with clients, but what about the specifics of social media? Should the boundary be drawn at a friend request, at a profile view, at access to posts, or at a personal message? Furthermore, do professionals know how much of their information is publicly accessible? Without evaluating privacy settings, social workers could unknowingly share their location in posts and display their phone numbers on their profiles.

Social media is just one example of an evolving concern – the pitfalls multiply as fast as advancements in technology. Even if there were a field-wide rule book, it would be impossible to keep up with the multitude of potential ethical dilemmas. According to the International Social Work journal, professionals should handle these grey areas with contextual awareness and critical self-reflection so they can provide ethical, contemporary services. 2 To help, social workers can learn from experience and explore contextual nuances in advanced degree programs. Then, they can make the most ethical decisions moving forward.

Examples of Ethical Dilemmas in Social Work

Everyone in the field will come to an ethical crossroads eventually, and some of the most common examples span the following categories.

Accessibility

Not all clients have reliable access to an internet-enabled device, which means that online services won’t always be an option; sometimes clients will also live too far away for in-person meetings and programming. Social workers should strive to provide equitable access to their services and to community resources.

Confidentiality

Office staff members can’t assume that everyone who calls has good intentions. For instance, someone could call the office pretending to be a housing administrator while seeking a client’s address. Social services professionals should retain clients’ privacy by taking all measures to secure sensitive information online, in physical records, and otherwise.

Individuality

Suppose that a client seeks help for a substance misuse problem, and is told, “You need help.” This phrase could be fully applicable but makes room for self-judgment if the client is unable to do what they “need to do.” A better option might be, “I’ve made a list of all the support groups in your area in case you’d like to attend.” Social workers should respect their clients by communicating with empathy and compassion.

Imagine that a family has come to a community center to ask about Hindu worship centers. The resource specialist feels uncomfortable looking into it because they believe in Christianity, so the family now feels self-conscious. Social workers should address how their religious beliefs, biases, cultural norms, and personal experiences affect their livelihood; critical self-reflection is a great way to make sure that these differences don’t compromise the high standards of the field.

Making Ethical Decisions in Social Work

With several layers of context to each scenario, it becomes impossible for social workers to predict or plan for all possibilities. A published code of ethics can help guide these professionals as they carry out their duties, which is the norm for several other fields as well:

• Education: The National Education Association (NAE) provides the Code of Ethics for Educators 3
• Medicine: The American Medical Association (AMA) maintains the Code of Medical Ethics 4
• Nursing: The American Nurses Association (ANA) publishes the Code of Ethics for Nurses 5

The benchmark for social work is the National Association of Social Workers (NASW) Code of Ethics, which applies to all professionals and students, no matter where they work or the populations they serve. 1 The Code is made up of four sections: the Preamble, the Purpose of the NASW Code of Ethics, Ethical Principles, and Ethical Standards. Plus, the NASW publishes updates to the Code every few years.

Social Work Code of Ethics: Core Values and Principles

The Code consists of six core values, each with an overarching principle. 1

• Service – Principle: Social workers’ primary goal is to help people in need and to address social problems.
• Social Justice – Principle: Social workers challenge social injustice.
• Dignity and Worth of the Person – Principle: Social workers respect the inherent dignity and worth of the person.
• Importance of Human Relationships – Principle: Social workers recognize the central importance of human relationships.
• Integrity – Principle: Social workers behave in a trustworthy manner.
• Competence – Principle: Social workers practice within their areas of competence and develop and enhance their professional expertise.

How to Become an Ethical Social Worker

The NASW’s Code of Ethics is a living document that responds to social change to meet the needs of the profession. The latest update, in 2021, includes language that addresses the importance of professional self-care. 1 Given these regular updates, social work students and seasoned professionals should continually review the Code and apply it in their day-to-day practices.

Learn how to decipher the Code in an online MSW program such as Utica University’s, which explores values and principles in the Code and shows how they impact real-world situations. Plus, Utica’s online MSW is the only clinical social work program in the nation that centers on recovery theories, values, and skills. You can learn how to support clients using ethical, proven trauma-informed interventions.

Complete the traditional online MSW in two years or choose the 12- to 16-month online MSW: Advanced Standing option if you already have a BSW. Discover all the benefits of Utica University’s social work program with a quick visit to the MSW page or submit your information to talk with a member of our team.

• National Association of Social Workers (NASW). Code of Ethics. Retrieved March 6, 2024, from https://www.socialworkers.org/About/Ethics/Code-of-Ethics/Code-of-Ethics-English
• International Social Work. Disrupting Social Work Ethics. April 25, 2023. Retrieved March 6, 2024, from https://journals.sagepub.com/doi/full/10.1177/00208728231170078
• National Education Association (NEA). Code of Ethics for Educators. Retrieved March 6, 2024, from https://www.nea.org/resource-library/code-ethics-educators
• American Medical Association (AMA). Code of Medical Ethics. Retrieved March 6, 2024, from https://code-medical-ethics.ama-assn.org/
• American Nurses Association (ANA). Ethics and Human Rights. Retrieved March 6, 2024, from https://www.nursingworld.org/practice-policy/nursing-excellence/ethics/code-of-ethics-for-nurses/

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How RTO Policies are Affecting Employees in 2024

A recent survey from ResumeBuilder found that 8 in 10 employers lost talent to return-to-office mandates. This has been a hugely debated topic in the business world post-COVID, as companies and their workers strive to find common ground with a preferred working arrangement. Top performers have quit, and there are growing concerns that leaders imposing RTO policies have hidden motives. These motives are hurting office dynamics, harming employee satisfaction, and, as a result, limiting the success of the organizations implementing them.

The Hidden Agenda Behind RTO Mandates

As the world slowly emerged from the COVID-19 pandemic, many organizations began to put in place return-to-office policies. These policies forced workers to come back to the office five days a week . It started as a trickle in 2022, but, it soon became a wave. Major companies like UPS, Boeing, and JPMorgan Chase made headlines with their RTO mandates. However, this trend is far from universal. A 2024 report by Flex Index said that 82% of Fortune 500 companies still offer flexible work. Only 18% require full-time in-office work.

The push for RTO has many drivers. These include the desire to boost collaboration, maintain company culture, and increase productivity. However, RTO policies have not been without controversy. They often lead to friction between employers and employees, largely because employees have grown used to the benefits of remote work.

One of the most striking assertions from recent studies is the use of RTO mandates as a smokescreen for reducing the workforce. A survey by BambooHR found that a quarter of VP and C-suite executives and a fifth of HR pros admitted to hoping for voluntary turnover after implementing a return-to-office policy. This strategy was not explicitly communicated internally or externally. Industry observers say it could be viewed as "back-channel layoffs."

The survey also found that companies may have anticipated a higher voluntary turnover rate with the RTO mandates, with 37% of leaders believing their organizations began layoffs in the past year due to fewer employees than expected quitting. This way of downsizing has raised ethical questions. It also raises concerns about the long-term impact on employee trust and company culture.

RTO Mandates: A Yardstick For Measuring Productivity

For many organizations, the transition back to office work has been met with resistance from employees. Remote work offers employees flexibility and work-life balance. Flexibility and work-life balance have become highly valued among today's professionals. BambooHR’s 2024 Return to Work report shows that 90% of workers who prefer remote work cite these factors as primary reasons. Also, 51% of remote work supporters say it helps them with family duties. Up to 74% of respondents enjoy not commuting daily. However, with RTO mandates, it felt like companies didn't consider their employees' needs. Indeed, 70% of companies with flexible work schedules surveyed plan to increase the days employees must work in the office by 2025. However, some companies fear this may weaken their leadership bench and hinder succession planning.

In the face of this conundrum, a different work culture is gradually surfacing. This new culture is one that is void of trust and confidence in the employees themselves. Most CEOs feel they have a good reason to defend this. They point to productivity as the main reason for workers to return to offices. According to CEOs, employees aren’t as productive as they are when managers monitor them at their desks.

This pressure to return to the office has given rise to a phenomenon known as the "Green Status Effect." It refers to the tendency of remote workers to keep their messaging apps always open. This displays an "active" status to imply constant work. Nearly two-thirds (64%) of remote workers admit to this. Remote workers feel pressure to maintain this constant online presence, even when not working. Within the office, employees also feel pressured to demonstrate productivity. About 42% of employees surveyed admitted to showing up at work just to be seen by their boss or manager. Many also report walking around the office just to be seen (37%). Others plan meetings with in-office colleagues (35%) to aid in office visibility. Some even adjust their schedules to arrive earlier or leave later than their managers (33%). These actions reflect a growing pressure on employees and the culture is training employees to "show" productivity and presence, regardless of actual output.

The Impact On Productivity And Work Quality

In a globally distributed team, establishing a performative culture, whether in-person or remote, can make workers feel micromanaged. Micromanagement drives down employee engagement levels. Based on these findings, executives need to rethink their management philosophy. It should aim for outcomes, not just visibility.

Despite the push for RTO. The data does not support the belief that in-person work is more productive. According to the same survey from BambooHR, both in-office and remote workers report spending about 76% of a typical 9-to-5 shift actively working. Workers spend the rest of their time on non-work activities. In fact, in-office workers tend to spend around one hour more socializing than their remote counterparts. This implies that the intense need to demonstrate presence won’t make any difference on the bottom line. Essentially, it could hurt it.

That's why leadership and HR should reevaluate their policies and look for ways to measure efficiency and productivity, creating a culture focused on realistic results, rather than focusing on vague expectations of visibility and perpetuating a performative culture. As 22% of HR professionals have already admitted to not having any metric in place to measure the success of their RTO policies, this should be prioritized before lasting cultural damage is done.

Bridging The Divide: The Challenge Of Hybrid Work Environments

A big challenge for organizations in the post-pandemic era is connecting remote/hybrid workers with their in-office peers. More than two in five (44%) hybrid/in-office employees say they have a weaker relationship with remote colleagues. They are closer to the ones they see in the office. Since the implementation of RTO mandates, 26% of workers say a greater divide has developed between remote and non-remote workers.

This growing divide creates serious challenges. It harms team cohesion, collaboration, and company culture. Organizations must find new ways to connect employees. They must ensure equal opportunities for all, no matter where they work.

The Role of Compensation in the RTO Debate

While work location is a crucial factor in employee satisfaction, compensation remains a primary concern. The BambooHR Employee Happiness Index reports show that employee happiness hit an all-time low at the end of 2023. Compensation in comparison to inflation was the biggest influence on workplace happiness for 59% of employees.

The RTO mandate has added another layer to the compensation debate. Plus, 43% of surveyed workers said their employers have asked more employees to come in person, with no offers to increase pay. This disconnect has increased expenses for employees without compensating them, putting more hardship on the employees during a particularly tough economic period. This continues to further distrust and resentment among employees.

Top RTO Strategies To Keep In Mind

Understanding and accommodating diverse employee needs and preferences regarding work location is crucial. One size does not fit all any longer.

Accepting individual preferences

To find what works for your organization, try conducting surveys or small focus group discussions to gain employee feedback. Companies should recognize that employees have varying circumstances. Some thrive in an office, while others are more productive at home. Factors like commute time, family responsibilities, and personal work styles should be considered. Tailoring solutions to individual needs can not only help raise employee satisfaction and retention but will also allow your organization to hire the best, top talent, instead of just the best talent that happens to be within a 30-mile radius.

Transparent and clear communication

Transparency is key when implementing RTO policies. Organizations that clearly explain why they make decisions foster better collaboration, maintain company culture, and are better able to meet workers' needs. Equally important is defining how the success of these policies will be measured. This might include productivity metrics, employee satisfaction scores, or team collaboration indicators. Regular updates and open forums for feedback can help keep trust. They can also address concerns early.

Provide flexibility

Offering hybrid options provides a middle ground that can satisfy both employer and employee needs. This could include in-office days for team meetings and projects, balanced with remote work days for focused tasks. Flexibility might also apply to working hours. This lets employees adjust schedules to personal needs but also ensures core hours when the team is available.

Create equitable policies

Workforces are more distributed now. It's crucial to ensure that all employees have equal opportunities, no matter where they work. This includes fair consideration for promotions, participation in important meetings and decisions, and equal access to professional growth. Managers should be trained to avoid proximity bias, as they may unintentionally favor in-office workers over remote ones.

Invest in technology

Companies need to invest in technology that enables seamless collaboration to support a hybrid work model. This goes beyond basic video tools and includes project software, virtual whiteboards, and platforms for asynchronous communication. The goal is to make a digital workspace as effective as a physical one. It should let remote workers fully contribute and stay connected with their in-office colleagues.

Focus on culture-building

Maintaining a strong company culture in a distributed work environment requires intentional effort. This might involve online team-building. It might include all-hands meetings. Or, it might involve making digital spaces for casual chat. Companies should focus on strengthening core values. They should also foster a sense of belonging that isn't tied to physical proximity. Recognition programs, mentorship opportunities, and cross-functional projects can help build connections. They do so across different work modes.

Consider compensation adjustments

RTO can greatly impact employees' finances. It can raise commuting and childcare costs as well as work-related purchases. Companies should consider these factors when setting compensation. This might include pay adjustments based on location. It could also include commuter benefits or stipends for home offices. It's also important to ensure that pay stays fair. This is true for both in-office and remote workers. The focus should be on value and output, not physical presence.

Embracing Flexibility And Employee-Centric Approaches

Businesses face the complexities of the post-pandemic workplace. A one-size-fits-all approach to RTO is unlikely to work. The most successful companies embrace openness, not oversight. They move away from micromanagement to an environment that values and implements employee feedback.

We live in a changing environment, and many workers deal with increasing mental and emotional burdens. Only companies that are open, communicative, and trust their employees will win their employees’ trust and loyalty. This mutual trust that we’re seeing be broken across corporate America through this debate is what’s needed to bring together organizations and their employees, and what will lead to continued success.

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Applications due August 1, 2024

Vanderbilt (VU + VUMC):   This is a joint competition for VU and VUMC investigators. All investigators should follow these instructions.

Vanderbilt (VU + VUMC, collaboratively) may select 1 nominee for the Greenwall Faculty Scholars Program in Bioethics . These three-year career development awards enable junior faculty members to carry out innovative bioethics research that goes beyond current work in bioethics to help resolve pressing ethical issues in clinical, biomedical and public health decision-making, policy, and practice, and creates a community that enhances future bioethics research by Scholars and Alums.

Priority will be given to applicants whose research addresses innovative ideas and/or emerging topics. Lower priority will be given to applicants who are primarily carrying out educational reform or theoretical work with limited applicability to practice, research, or policy.

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The Biden campaign has attacked Donald J. Trump’s ties to the conservative policy plan that would amass power in the executive branch, though it is not his official platform.

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By Simon J. Levien

Donald J. Trump has gone to great lengths to distance himself from Project 2025, a set of conservative policy proposals for a future Republican administration that has outraged Democrats. He has claimed he knows nothing about it or the people involved in creating it.

Mr. Trump himself was not behind the project. But some of his allies were.

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What is Project 2025?

Project 2025 was spearheaded by the Heritage Foundation and like-minded conservative groups before Mr. Trump officially entered the 2024 race. The Heritage Foundation is a think tank that has shaped the personnel and policies of Republican administrations since the Reagan presidency.

The project was intended as a buffet of options for the Trump administration or any other Republican presidency. It’s the latest installment in the Heritage Foundation’s Mandate for Leadership series, which has compiled conservative policy proposals every few years since 1981. But no previous study has been as sweeping in its recommendations — or as widely discussed.

Kevin Roberts, the head of the Heritage Foundation, which began putting together the latest document in 2022, said he thought the American government would embrace a more conservative era, one that he hoped Republicans would usher in.

“We are in the process of the second American Revolution,” Mr. Roberts said on Real America’s Voice, a right-wing cable channel, in early July, adding pointedly that the revolt “will remain bloodless if the left allows it to be.”

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