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Ethical dilemma case sheet

Move a group from reaction to reasoning: record a verdict, isolate the rule behind it, then test it against a modified case and a rival framework.

Short route
20 minutes
Deep route
50 minutes
Revised
2026-07-25

20-minute route

  1. 2 min: Read the topic setup on the canonical guide.
  2. 3 min: Record an initial answer before discussion.
  3. 10 min: Compare two reasons and test one variation.
  4. 5 min: Write the strongest objection and a revised position.

50-minute extension

  1. 5 min: Silent reading and first position.
  2. 15 min: Small-group reason mapping.
  3. 15 min: Swap positions and defend the strongest rival.
  4. 10 min: Test a nearby case or changed context.
  5. 5 min: Final reflection and remaining uncertainty.

Prompt sequence

  1. 01

    Name a case where the best overall outcome is one you would still refuse to bring about.

  2. 02

    Which duty would you keep even knowing it made things worse—and why that one?

  3. 03

    Describe a decision where the right act was obvious but doing it required a trait you lacked.

  4. 04

    How much more do you owe someone close to you, and what justifies the difference?

  5. 05

    What has to be true of an action before blame is fair rather than merely useful?

  6. 06

    Does the existence of deep moral disagreement change what you think is true, or only how confident you are?

Position and process cues

  • State the verdict first, in one sentence, before any justification.
  • Name the rule or value that produced it—consequences, a duty, a virtue, or a relationship.
  • Change one feature of the case until your verdict flips, and say which feature did the work.
  • Write the strongest objection from a rival framework, then state your revised position and remaining uncertainty.