Moral Dilemma
Moral Dilemma
Jocelyn Chang
Block 1
The world of morality does not always operate in shades of black and white, more often than not it ventures into realms of different hues of gray. Who should be allowed to decide one’s life? People with faith in the justice system believe that the choice should be left to a judge and jury; people with faith in religion believe the choice can only be made by a god. What about one man? In “Gentlemen, your verdict” by Michael Bruce, Lieutenant-Commander Oram must sacrifice the lives of some of his crew in order to save five men. Furthermore, “The Firing Squad” by Colin McDougall, is about Captain John Adam and how he has to choose between getting his bad records erased forever and starting from scratch or carrying out the execution of Private Jones. The protagonists in the both stories are facing moral dilemma, a sense of duty and their manhood and courage. However, can anyone be allowed to decide the fates of others? And how can we be sure that we have acted morally in a serious situation?
Lieutenant-Commander Oram’s decision shows the compassionate side of him. His actions after the accident illustrate how he prioritized his moral values in order to resolve a moral dilemma: he chose “the lesser of two evils". Even though he was still hoping that there was another way out of this fatal situation, after much cogitation, “He told us he had special duty for four of us, what could only be done by married men with families, and as far as he knew, there wasn’t nothing to choose between us” (23). This was the only available option------kill others in order to save some. In addition, the president turned, “Gentlemen, it is for you to decide, guilty or not guilty” (25). When does a murderer start to sound like a hero? Is this really a murder? The difference between a decision that is moral and one that is lawful is often far too separate for some people’s comfort. Moreover, in “The Firing Squad”, Adam seems full of pressure and
Jocelyn Chang
Block 1
The world of morality does not always operate in shades of black and white, more often than not it ventures into realms of different hues of gray. Who should be allowed to decide one’s life? People with faith in the justice system believe that the choice should be left to a judge and jury; people with faith in religion believe the choice can only be made by a god. What about one man? In “Gentlemen, your verdict” by Michael Bruce, Lieutenant-Commander Oram must sacrifice the lives of some of his crew in order to save five men. Furthermore, “The Firing Squad” by Colin McDougall, is about Captain John Adam and how he has to choose between getting his bad records erased forever and starting from scratch or carrying out the execution of Private Jones. The protagonists in the both stories are facing moral dilemma, a sense of duty and their manhood and courage. However, can anyone be allowed to decide the fates of others? And how can we be sure that we have acted morally in a serious situation?
Lieutenant-Commander Oram’s decision shows the compassionate side of him. His actions after the accident illustrate how he prioritized his moral values in order to resolve a moral dilemma: he chose “the lesser of two evils". Even though he was still hoping that there was another way out of this fatal situation, after much cogitation, “He told us he had special duty for four of us, what could only be done by married men with families, and as far as he knew, there wasn’t nothing to choose between us” (23). This was the only available option------kill others in order to save some. In addition, the president turned, “Gentlemen, it is for you to decide, guilty or not guilty” (25). When does a murderer start to sound like a hero? Is this really a murder? The difference between a decision that is moral and one that is lawful is often far too separate for some people’s comfort. Moreover, in “The Firing Squad”, Adam seems full of pressure and