It is challenging to be virtuous. It is challenging to do the right thing. There are multiple reasons for this. In some cases, it is difficult to do what is right because we are tempted by vice - because shirking our moral duty is more comfortable, pleasant, and less burdensome. In other cases, we would gladly do the right if only we knew what it was - the challenge is primarily one of knowing what the best course of action is.
This video explores these issues by distinguishing between moral and ethical dilemmas. While moral dilemmas test our will, fortitude, and commitment to virtue, ethical dilemmas present a scenario in which it seems impossible to know what to do. And this is because in an ethical dilemma many of our deepest held commitments and values seem to conflict with one another. How can I respect individual autonomy while also thinking about the greater good? How do I determine whether the quantity or quality of a person's life is more important? Whose interests should I prioritize when my decision will inevitably make some better off and some worse off? Furthermore, how should I respond to those who disagree with me about what should be done in situations of deep moral complexity and ambiguity?
0:00 - Introduction: The Challenges of Ethics
1:30 - The Vlasovic Case
11:56 - A Life Worth Living?
27:29 - Conflicts of Autonomy and Familial Duty
40:19 - Ethical Dilemmas and Ethical Conflict
For the pdf document used in this video see: [ Ссылка ]
