The dilemma is what? Varieties of dilemmas

In the process of learning, communicating or working, foreign words often occur, and some have quite understandable Russian synonyms, while others do not. For example, a dilemma is what? To understand the article will help.

Two definitions

This beautiful and not very understandable word has two values. One relates to the sphere of logic or philosophy, and the other to psychology or sociology. Let's consider both definitions:

1. The combination of two opposing judgments, but without the ability to formulate a third.
2. The situation in which one has to choose from two solutions, because they are opposite in meaning and give rise to the same scale difficulties.

It is the second meaning that is most often implied in book and public speech. Hence the expression: "insoluble dilemma," "dangerous dilemma," etc. In a certain sense, it is in tune with the well-known expression "the third is not given." Such situations are not uncommon in everyday life. The simplest example: a person needs to decide, stay on a well-paid job, which is a burden to him, or change it to a more pleasant one, but which brings a much lower income.

Varieties

So, the dilemma is what? What often happens in life. In addition, there are different types of this phenomenon.

For example, in a strictly scientific definition, a constructive and destructive variant is distinguished. More details about them can be found in the textbook of logic. And in a well-known sense, social dilemmas stand out, among them: ethical, moral, ecological, as well as situations with intriguing names "prisoner's dilemma", "secretary's dilemma" and "Samaritan dilemma". Let us dwell in more detail on some of these varieties.

Ethical

Ethics is a branch of philosophy that studies morality (accepted rules of conduct in a given society) and morality (can act as a synonym for morality or mean the rules of life of a particular person). The circle of ethical issues: good and evil, freedom and responsibility, the meaning of life, conscience, duty, happiness.

Thus, the ethical dilemma is the situation in which these and similar questions are touched upon. Most often you have to choose between what is right (from the point of view of morality), but not profitable, and what is bad for others, but profitable to choose.

In social relations, the ethical dilemma is, for example, consumer safety, rights and discrimination, professional ethics, corruption, and so on.

The moral

One of the most difficult situations, in which only it is possible to get. It is necessary to choose one of the mutually exclusive options, and both will not bring anything good.

The moral dilemma is a frequent turn of the plot in works of art. In these cases, death usually appears. For example, the protagonist should choose: to sacrifice oneself for the sake of saving others or not; To whom of two friends to help, after all he manages to save only one; Whether to throw the wounded man to bring help; During a difficult birth, save either a child, or a mother, etc.

People usually prefer not to think about such questions. And for those who think, the hypothetical choice may not coincide with the real one, if a real dilemma arises. This, which is important, happens often in extreme situations.

How to solve

Any solution to the dilemma is to find the safest option of the two, or to combine them into something like a compromise. To come to this, one needs the inner work of a person with himself.

You can act on this algorithm:

1. To formulate what the dilemma is.

2. Collect and analyze the known information from all sides.

3. Look for other options, except for the two opposite and obvious ones. Check each solution found for:

• Correctness (on a personal moral scale);
• utility;
• Morality;
• Legality.

4. Remove completely unacceptable options from the list of decisions.

5. With the exception method, leave one thing.

6. Check the selected solution in three ways:

• Imagine that you did this; What do you feel, whether you want to do things differently;
• Imagine how the decision will affect your family;
• Imagine the reaction of your social environment (friends, colleagues, neighbors, acquaintances); Can you survive it?

8. Provide justification for the decision (what it will give you or what it will save).

9. Analyze the negative consequences, which can lead to the adoption of this decision.

Dilemma-game

There is an unusual definition for this concept. It is associated with the theory of psychological games. "The prisoner's dilemma" is an example of the harm that can be caused by the lack of cooperation between people.

The situation itself is detective: two prisoners are charged with incontrovertible evidence of their guilt. For both, the dilemma is that you either need to cooperate with the police, or you do not. The rules apply:

• If both cooperate, receive a period of 7 years each;
• If both refuse to help the police, sit down for 3 years;
• If only one cooperates, then it takes only 1 year, but the second prisoner goes to prison for 10 years.

Thus, the most profitable option is the third one (each player tries to betray the other and do it as quickly as possible). But there are two optimal options: to work together either to agree and to keep silent.

Such an example can explain political, social and economic processes (arms race, competition between the two companies for market leadership, price war, environmental crimes, etc.).

The dilemma is (that is important!) Not a synonym for the word "problem". After all, the latter may have a mass of solutions, while not mutually exclusive. Namely, this sign determines whether the dilemma is before you or not.