RE: What will you do? (Ethical dilemma question)
October 22, 2017 at 5:17 pm
(This post was last modified: October 22, 2017 at 5:19 pm by bennyboy.)
(October 19, 2017 at 11:28 am)Khemikal Wrote: I think so too..though, in my case, I don't see this as one of them. My implied responsibilities to a friend end at declining. Your's extend to informing your friend.
In telling your friend..you're discharging what you perceive to be your duty. You likely don't feel, however... that it's your duty to inform your friend of everything that they do wrong or every wrong done unto them that you're aware of. I don;t know if your friends are anything like mine...but that would be exhausting, lol. It may even be the case (particularly if the partner made advances on someone else) that you wouldn't feel any such duty to a friend who..for example, had been told before but stubbornly stayed with a cheating partner.
In neither of our cases does this present a meaningful moral dilemma, it's just a reflection of our sense of duty.
It's true there is some context. For example, if the girl is the town pump, and the guy should know that, then he's probably too deluded to listen. But in general, I'd say if your friend is going into ANY long-term commitment in bad faith, then I'd tell him.
If he was going to borrow money from a "nice guy" who I knew to be a loan shark, I'd say, "Hey buddy. . . this guy may not be what you think he is. Be careful."
Same goes for the ho.
If we're going to get philosophical about it, I'd say that friends have a weak social contract. And if I let my friend get screwed, he's less able to help me or other friends in times of financial or psychological need, because he'll be too busy dealing with his whore wife.