Moral Dilemmas Thursday!

Hello all,


I hope you are all having a lovely weekend and reflecting on your first week at College. It went quickly for me, even in my 24th year of lecturing time still flies. Which reminds me of an old Groucho Marx quote - "Time flies like an arrow; fruit flies like a banana..." (Think on that one, it's actually deliciously clever!)


Anyway, on Thursday we will do some group work on moral dilemmas. What is a moral dilemma I hear you say? It could best be described as a situation in which a difficult choice has to be made between two (or more) courses of action, which entails transgressing a moral principle or principles. This exercise worked a treat over the last couple of years as you get the chance to consider some scenarios and decide what you might do. And crucially, why...


So, to whet the appetite for that session, try this one below for size. It is of course hypothetical and no judgments will be made. So what do you think?






You have witnessed a man rob a bank, but then, he did something completely unusual and unexpected with the money. He donated it to an orphanage that was poor, run-down and lacking in proper food, care, water and amenities. The sum of money would be a great benefit to the orphanage, and the children’s lives would turn from poor to prosperous.


Would you:


a: Call the police and report the robber, even though they would likely take the money away from the orphanage?


b: Do nothing and leave the robber and the orphans alone?


c: Do something else?


Hmmmm.