RESOLVING ETHICAL DILEMMAS
By its very definition, an ethical dilemma cannot
really be resolved in the sense that a resolution of the
problem implies a satisfactory answer to the problem.
Since, in reality, the “answer” to an ethical dilemma
is oft en the lesser of two evils, it is questionable to assume
that there will always be an acceptable answer—
it’s more a question of whether or not you can arrive
at an outcome you can live with.
Joseph L. Badaracco Jr.’s book Defining Moments
captures this notion of living with an outcome in a
discussion of “sleep-test ethics”