Final answer:
To resolve a moral dilemma—one must carefully consider the consequences of their actions, especially when perfect duties conflict. Understanding the incentives behind choices is key to ethical insight. Honest reflection on one's motivations and varied personality engagement is essential for addressing moral quandaries effectively.
Step-by-step explanation:
When faced with a difficult moral dilemma, such as the conflict between never telling a lie and avoiding harm to others, one must weigh the consequences meticulously. It is often a challenge to come clean about motives when the truth might be harmful. Philosophers like Immanuel Kant posit that perfect duties—categorical imperatives—should never be violated. However, real-life scenarios often require a more nuanced approach where the lesser harm is chosen, even if it means compromising on a perfect duty.
Exploring personal motivations is key to understanding the choices made in moral dilemmas. The incentives driving a person's decision can reveal much about their values and priorities. By examining how different incentives might alter a choice, one gains insight into their own ethical stances and the flexibility of their moral compass.
When questioning the motivation of the opposition or proposing collective campaigns to handle credible threats, it is crucial to engage with varied personality types. Incorporating honest reflections on thoughts, feelings, and motivations into discussions or writings offers clarity and transparency, fostering trust and collaboration. Lawrence Kohlberg's interest in the reasoning behind answers to moral dilemmas further underlines the importance of the thought processes in ethical decision-making.