The Moral Dilemma - A Test of Character

A Test of Character – The Moral Dilemma

Moral Dilemma -- Few things are more intriguing than a moral dilemma, the test of a person's character. We wait with baited breath, wondering if the hero will take the easy way out, or fight against all odds to retain his moral fiber.

Moral dilemmas are rampant in modern society. There's euthanasia, stem cell research, abortion, suicide, cloning, forced sterilization, pollution, ecology, exploitation of the unsophisticated, racism, and war, just to name the obvious. What about corporations? Do they shut down a plant, putting hundreds out of work in order to save the environment, or quietly dump their waste into the local rivers and streams? Does the President sacrifice thousands to save millions?

They say Stephen Crane (Red Badge of Courage -- not a horror story but one that deals primarily with moral dilemma) was interested in the "seamy side of life." I guess I am too. Some of the more true tests of character come crashing down when your entire focus is keeping from being evicted, or feeding your family one more meal, or deciding between raising another child and having an abortion.

Or consider your vanilla middle-aged member of society. He's online, in a chat room. An attractive and witty woman catches his attention. The conversation deepens, widens, and eventually leads to an offer of cyber-sex. No one else will ever know, he thinks. It won't hurt anyone. What to do in this moral dilemma? Does he, or doesn't he? What are the ramifications if his wife discovers his "harmless" act?

Mary Shelley (Frankenstein) set out to write a tale that would "speak to the mysterious fears of our nature" when she wrote Frankenstein. You will recall that Frankenstein is the doctor, not the unnamed monster that we've come to associate with the moniker "Frankenstein." The story she penned was not a story of a hideous monster but that of a man who can neither predict nor control the consequences of his discoveries and who cannot turn away from his work. His first moral dilemma is the choice between ancient and modern science. Ancient scientists "promised impossibilities and performed nothing" yet modern science "promise[s] very little" yet " have indeed performed miracles," acquiring "new and almost unlimited powers." Frankenstein chooses the path of God-like power. The very human qualities and longings of the scientist's creation constitute a second moral dilemma: Should Dr. Frankenstein create a mate for his male creation?

What about your own moral compass? Where do you draw the line? If the person in front of you in line at the grocery store leaves their change behind, do you call their attention to it -- or pocket it? It's a little thing, right? What if the clerk gives you $10 too much; do you return it, or keep it? The grocery store has plenty, right?

Here is a free Moral Sense Test you can take: lhttp://moral.wjh.harvard.edu
Each test will take 10-15 minutes and you'll have participated in “an exciting research project,” or so the site claims. The warning states: In taking the MST, you are personally prepared to accept the answers you give even if, upon completion, you find your answers puzzling or disturbing. If you do not accept this responsibility, please do not proceed. That’s scary in and of itself.

Moral dilemmas are the stuff of true horror. Think about some you've faced? Better yet, think of some moral dilemmas you faced and are ashamed of the way you chose? While you're feeling guilty, go read a horror story. [EDIT: Dead link, sorry]. You'll feel better when you've finished. And when you get there, tell 'em Clara sent ya. ~~Clara Chandler

The Harvard Moral Sense Test http://moral.wjh.harvard.edu/