Everyday, individuals are confronted with difficult situations that call for ethical considerations to be made. It could be that a pregnant woman has to decide whether to keep the baby. It could also be that a boss is considering whether to fire an employee who has been absent from work as he attends to a personal matter at home. These examples make it clear that ethical dilemmas call for wisdom. There is no clear solution and one has to think critically. To aid in the resolution of ethical dilemmas, there are a number of theories that have been developed. Virtue ethics and utilitarian ethics are among the ethical approaches that are commonly used to solve ethical dilemmas (Hinman, 2012). While these theories do not answer the questions that ethical dilemmas present, they provide insights that an individual can use to solve these dilemmas. In this essay, I describe a dilemma that I faced and how I resolved it. I then discuss the ethical theory that I used to address the dilemma.
Recently, a close friend approached me and asked that I lend him some amount. The friend’s wife had been hospitalized and he needed the amount to settle the medical bills. The amount that he asked for was rather low and I could lend it at little personal cost. This seemed like an easy situation and the choice was clear. However, I should mention that I had loaned him money before and he was yet to repay it. Additionally, I had made some personal commitment that required a cash investment. I had set aside some amount for this commitment. Lending the friend the money would mean that I would be unable to honor the personal commitment. It should also be noted that at the time that the friend approached me, I was cash-strapped. The amount that I had on me was only enough for basic sustenance and for attending to the personal commitment that I have mentioned. After considering all the factors in this situation, I chose to lend the friend the money. In the discussion that follows, I provide a rationale for this decision.
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It has already been mentioned that resolving ethical conflicts is not easy since there are no clear solutions. I relied mostly on the utilitarian theory to resolve the situation with my friend. The key premise of this theory is that when confronted with an ethical dilemma, an individual should opt for the choice that delivers the greatest benefit to the highest number of people (Lemons & Brown, 2013). In my situation, the decision to lend my friend the money would mostly benefit him. He would be able to settle the medical bills and ensure that his wife continued to receive treatment. The relief that my friend would experience when I lend him the money is the other benefit that this choice would present. While he would be the biggest gainer, I recognized that there are some benefits that I was also set to enjoy. For example, lending him the money would leave me feeling fulfilled. As I lent him the money, I took part in enhancing health and promoting humanity. I took pride in my generosity and I am glad that I helped my friend at a time when he needed support. I should add that I consider my friend’s wife to be one of the kindest people I know. She has repeatedly intervened in difficult situations. Choosing to help settle the medical bills is the least that I could do to repay her for her kindness and generosity.
In the discussion above, it has been mentioned that the main feature of the utilitarian theory is the focus on maximum benefit. In addition to encouraging individuals to select the option that delivers the greatest benefit, this theory also advises that the option that one settles on should minimize harm (Lemons & Brown, 2013). This means that the best option is that which ensures that as few people as possible suffer as little harm as possible. I examined my situation and I noted that I would prevent harm by lending my friend the amount. By lending him the money, I would be ending the anguish that he had suffered. He had appealed to other friends and members of his family and none was able to help. Thanks to my support, he was able to experience relief and ensure that his wife’s pain would be taken care of by her physician. It is not lost on me that I suffered some inconvenience. I was forced to give up an issue that I had planned to invest in. This was a very important matter. However, the wise choice to make in my situation was to deny myself the joy of experiencing the issue that I intended to invest in. Instead, I chose to deliver happiness and relief to people who needed it more. I feel that the joy that I experienced after lending my friend the amount outweighs the disappointment and inconvenience that I suffered.
The utilitarian theory was the main approach that I applied in the situation that I was confronted with. This is not the only theory that I applied. In addition to this theory, I used virtue ethics to resolve the dilemma. Essentially, this theory places emphasis on virtue. It calls on individuals to do the right thing (Van Hooft, 2014). In every ethical dilemma, there is always an option that promotes virtue. Individuals need to select the choice that promotes such values as kindness and love. After a careful examination of the situation that I faced, I concluded that lending my friend the amount would be in service of virtue. I was able to remind him of the importance of kindness and generosity. The option that I selected also enabled me to demonstrate sympathy and humanity. I feel that these are values that are slowly being forgotten. We live in an era where people look inward. Almost everyone pursues their own interests and little thought is given to attending to the needs of those who are desperate and hurting. Virtue ethics reminded me that there are moments when we need to neglect our own needs and respond to the plight of others. We must be willing to abandon personal commitments and ensure that those who are unwell receive treatment. I have mentioned that the friend had failed to repay an amount that I had lent him earlier. I also understood that there was a high chance that he would fail to repay the amount that I was about to lend him. Despite the high default risk, I still recognized that one cannot place a price on virtue. We must pursue virtue regardless of the cost.
In conclusion, human life is characterized by difficult experiences. Most of these experiences demand that tough decisions be made. Ethical dilemmas constitute most of these experiences. These dilemmas place individuals in difficult situations where they must make quick and wise decisions. It is fortunate that there are a number of ethical theories to guide individuals as they resolve these dilemmas. In the situation that I faced, I employed utilitarian and virtue ethics. By applying these theories, I was able to select an option that delivered relief and comfort. I advise other individuals to exercise wisdom and to pursue virtue in their resolution of ethical dilemmas.
References
Hinman, L. M. (2012). Ethics: A Pluralistic Approach to Moral Theory. Boston: Cengage.
Lemons, J. & Brown, D. A. (2013). Sustainable Development: Science, Ethics and Public Policy. New York: Springer.
Van Hooft, S. (2014). Understanding Virtue Ethics. London: Routledge.
