[Serious] Ethics

[vulcanlogician]

But isn't that what all the theories do? Solve dilemmas?

Hmm I'm not sure. In my observation dilemmas only emerge from within rather than without. For example, when two deontological rules are clashing. I would resolve the clash with utilitarianism.

Can you give an example of a dilemma that isn't self-produced by an ethical system?

I think you can have ethical dilemmas without theories. Any time it's not clear what the right thing to do is. Two options compete over "which is the best for me to do?" Boom. Ethical dilemma. Then, as I see it, the theories come along and try to resolve and clarify the issue. Each theory suggests different actions for what the best action might be. In a perfect world, the best theory recommends the best actions.

Where you find dilemmas within an ethical theory is when you test the theory against our intuitions.

For instance, in hedonistic utilitarianism there is a thought experiment whereby a person has the choice of living her life normally, with all its suffering, or (alternatively) hooking herself up to a machine that blinds her to the outside world but causes her to constantly experience extreme pleasure. The machine also keeps her biology going and ensures that she lives a long and healthy life.

According to hedonism, the best "life decision" she could make is to choose the machine. Why? Because to the hedonist, pleasure and happiness are the only intrinic goods. It's a no-brainer to go into the machine. But our intuitions tell us that the machine isn't the best option. If that's correct, well then. Hedonism must be false.