What are Moral Dilemmas?

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A moral dilemma is a situation where a person is forced to choose between two or more conflicting moral obligations, and choosing one will inevitably mean violating another. It is not just some tough decision one has to make between something good and something bad. It is a clash between two “goods”—or even between two “bads,” where one is forced to choose the lesser evil. In other words, a moral dilemma involves significant moral stakes; its choices and consequences have serious ethical weight.

The Three Conditions of Moral Dilemmas

In an article she wrote for The New Social Worker in 2012, Karen Allen, then associate professor at Oakland University, identified three conditions that make a moral dilemma:

1. Obligation to Choose

According to Allen, the person in a moral dilemma—also known as the “moral agent”—must be obliged—or forced—to choose which course of action is best. Otherwise, if she isn’t obliged to choose, then her situation may not be a moral dilemma, but merely a problematic situation—one which may be solved by not choosing any of her available options.

2. Two or More Conflicting Moral Obligations

This condition is at the heart of any moral dilemma. There must be at least two courses of action—or moral obligations—to choose from in a moral dilemma. And these two must be conflicting, pulling the moral agent in different directions.

3. Inability to Satisfy All Moral Obligations

No matter what the moral agent chooses in a moral dilemma, she will always fail to meet at least one of her moral obligations or compromise some moral principle. This means that there are no perfect solutions for moral dilemmas.

An Example

To better understand what a moral dilemma is, consider the following example.

Mary is a devout and righteous woman; she considers killing human beings absolutely wrong. One day, her obstetrician gave her the devastating news that she was having an ectopic pregnancy (a kind of pregnancy where the fetus develops outside the mother’s uterus, usually in one of the fallopian tubes) and that her life was increasingly in danger. After seeking expert medical advice, the doctors told her to have an abortion immediately in order to save her life.

Mary’s situation is clearly a moral dilemma.

First of all, she is obliged to make a choice—in fact, an urgent one that involves life and death.

Second, she has—as of the moment—at least two conflicting moral obligations:
  1. If she decides to continue her pregnancy, then she will risk her own and her baby’s life; and
  2. If she decides to have an abortion, then she will be sacrificing her baby and compromise her moral principles.
And third, no matter what course of action Mary chooses—to continue her pregnancy or to have an abortion—she will always end up compromising one of her moral obligations and the basic moral principle of protecting life.


Moral dilemmas are a normal part of human life. They force us to confront the limitations of our moral values and principles. While they can be deeply unsettling, dealing with them can lead to greater self-awareness, a deeper understanding of ethical frameworks, and hopefully, more thoughtful and compassionate decision-making.

If you’re interested in how to better navigate moral dilemmas, we recommend checking out our video on Scott Rae’s 7-step moral reasoning model.

References

Nair, Shyam. “Moral Dilemmas.” Routledge Encyclopedia of Philosophy. Accessed April 22, 2025. https://www.rep.routledge.com/articles/thematic/moral-dilemmas/v-1.

Allen, Karen. “What is an Ethical Dilemma?” The New Social Worker. Accessed April 22, 2025. https://www.socialworker.com/feature-articles/ethics-articles/What_Is_an_Ethical_Dilemma%3F/.

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