Issue, Decision, Judgement, Dilemma

Moral Issue

Moral Issue

A situation that is the source of considerable and inconclusive debate, such as capital punishment and euthanasia.

Moral Decisions

The choices one faces when confronted with what act to perform in a given situation.

Moral Judgement

The assessment made by an observer regarding the actions or behavior of someone.

Moral Dilemma

A conflict where one must choose between two good or bad options, often involving the lesser of two evils.

Ethical Decision Making

The process of making a decision based on ethical principles and considerations.

Gather The Facts

The step of clarifying known and unknown facts relevant to the ethical case at hand.

Determine the Ethical Issues

Identifying competing interests or goods that create an ethical dilemma, often presented in a "______ versus ______" format.

Ethical Principles

Moral values or principles that influence the conflicting positions in an ethical dilemma.

List the Alternatives

The creative process of generating various courses of action to resolve an ethical dilemma.

Compare the Alternatives with the Principles

The task of eliminating alternatives based on relevant moral principles.

Weigh the Consequences

Considering both positive and negative outcomes of the remaining alternatives when principles do not yield a clear decision.

Make a Decision

The final step in ethical decision-making, acknowledging that solutions often involve trade-offs and are not painless.

Moral Problem

A specific ethical question or dilemma, such as whether to cheat on exams.

Moral Analysis

The evaluation of the positive and negative consequences of a moral choice, such as cheating or not cheating.

Moral Decision

The chosen course of action and the reasoning behind it, such as deciding to cheat to pass exams.