Decision-Making: Predicting the Future & Making Moral Choices - Essay Sample

Introduction

Decision making is an integral part of everyday life. While some decisions are easy to make, others are difficult and often get one into a dilemma. The difficulty arises because making a decision is essentially predicting the future. If one had all the facts, the prediction would be easy, and so would be decision making (Folkman, 2013). However, this is not the case in most situations, as seen in the case. Moreover, in some instances, one might be forced to make a morally reprehensible decision. These are called ethical dilemmas. Making a decision in an ethical dilemma is usually difficult since one does not have enough time to deliberate. This is the situation in which the captain of the ship finds himself in. The ship is sinking, and only one lifeboat is left. Though there are 11 passengers on board, the lifeboat can only take ten. Without much time to deliberate, the captain has the huge burden of determining who goes and who remains in the sinking ship.

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In the event of such a case, the captain goes down with the ship. Therefore, there is no debate on whether the captain gets into the lifeboat or not. The attention then shifts to the 11 passengers, whose fate lies in the hands, or rather the decision of the captain. Culturally, women and children should be saved first in case of emergencies. While these beliefs formed the basis of the 20th-century chivalry, it does not carry a strong sense of morality. For instance, in modern society, the captain, or whoever is in charge at the time of an emergency, has a right of exit after evacuating everyone. Moreover, the most helpless should be aided first regardless of their gender or age. However, other than what culture demands, ethics have a huge role to play in such a situation. Looking at it from this perspective, it becomes a utilitarianism versus deontological ethics issue (Mandal et al., 2016). In this regard, the decision I would make as the captain would be a compromise between utility and honor. Therefore, those with great honor would be saved regardless of their perceived future utility. Looking at virtues is another way in which I would approach the dilemma. Using this approach, the most virtuous would be saved, while the least noble would be left in the sinking ship. The approach appears more impartial since virtue exists independent of emotion. Therefore, the most honorable and virtuous passengers will be saved first. Societal morality will also be used to determine who gets into the lifeboat. Finally, the utility of the remaining passengers will be reviewed to find who sinks with the ship.

The utilitarianism versus deontological ethical approach favors Jason Alexander and Kristin Wilson. They are arguably the passengers with the highest honor in the ship. Alexander is a committed priest, while Kristin is a retired teacher who still serves as a bible school teacher. The two, therefore, would be first to get into the lifeboat. Looking at the other end of the spectrum, Kevin Surrey, Kris Watson, Kelly Wilson, and Susan Swanson are arguably the passengers with the least honor in the ship according to the descriptions given. While the utilitarianism versus deontological ethical approach holds that those with the least honor should be left to sink, a review of their utility saves them. Though Surrey drinks and is divorced, he is devoted to his children and wife. Therefore, he deserves a chance to live. Similarly, though Kris Watson is a habitual gambler and womanizer, he has seven dependents. For their sake, he should be spared. Though Kelly Wilson is addicted to drugs and alcohol and dropped out of school, she is on the ship to get her act together. She, therefore, deserves a chance. Moreover, she is pregnant, and hence should be saved for the sake of her unborn child. Finally, though Susan Swanson works as a stripper, she does it to support herself through college. Though her actions might be seen as less honorable, she engages in it for a noble cause. The education she is pursuing will arguably help her lead a decent life. She, therefore, should be saved too.

It looks immoral to separate a child from the mother in such a situation. The immorality of separating children from their parents came to the fore recently, when dozens of children were separated from their parents at the Mexican border (Capps, 2018). Amanda is healthy, and at 12, she has a whole life ahead of her. Therefore, she should be saved by all means. Unfortunately, the utility of her mother, Michelle, is hurt by the fact that she is suffering from two chronic diseases. However, since it is immoral to separate them, they both get into the lifeboat. Three are now left in the ship, and the lifeboat still has room for two. The utility of James Jones cannot be questioned since he is in perfect health and is relatively young. He, therefore, gets into the lifeboat leaving only Mike Tury and Shannon Thompson on the ship. Though he is asthmatic, Tury has been working and studying at the same time. He has a chance of surviving in the future and hence should be saved. Though she is young and has barely lived, Shannon has the least chance of making it even if she is saved. She has terminal cancer and hence is bound to die. She also has an infection, which hurts her chances of surviving sea sickness even if she gets into the lifeboat. Therefore, as the captain, I would make the difficult and reprehensible decision of sinking with her.

The major challenge with this dilemma is that the information provided is so scarce. The descriptions offer so little about the people and are grossly insufficient in judging the worth of their lives. However, in making the decisions, the options requiring the least assumptions were taken. The most honorable passengers were saved first, followed by the perceived utility of each one of them. Morality was used to save the mother and the child. Aspects of all these approaches were used in sacrificing Shannon. She has the least utility, and the act might actually have saved her from an inevitable and more painful end.

References

Capps, R. (2018, June 20). Family separation isn't just immoral. It's likely ineffective. Retrieved from Vox: https://www.vox.com/the-big-idea/2018/6/20/17482638/children-family-separated-immigrants-policy

Folkman, J. (2013, September 19). Solving The Decisiveness Dilemma: The 4 Step Process For Making An Excellent Choice. Retrieved from Forbes: https://www.forbes.com/sites/joefolkman/2013/09/19/solving-the-decisiveness-dilemma-the-4-step-process-for-making-an-excellent-choice/#756eab0e1a15

Mandal, J., Ponnambath, D. K., & Subhash, C. P. (2016). Utilitarian and deontological ethics in medicine. Tropical parasitology, 6(1), 5. Retrieved from https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4778182/