The Toughest Ethical Decisions: Right v. Right - A Critical Analysis

This essay provides a critical analysis of the article 'The Toughest Ethical Decisions: Right v. Right' by Petzko and Shuran. It discusses the ethical dilemmas, core values, role of law, and society's resolution of ethical dilemmas.

Running head: THE TOUGHEST ETHICAL DECISIONS
THE TOUGHEST ETHICAL DECISIONS
Name of the Student
Name of the University
Author Note

1THE TOUGHEST ETHICAL DECISIONS
In this particular essay the focus of the discussion shall be of critiquing the main premises
that have been discussed by Petzko and Shuran in their article ‘The Toughest Ethical Decisions:
Right v. Right’. The basic arguments that shall be discussed throughout the essay are that of
identifying the issues discussed in the article; identifying the different core values involved in
resolving of the ethical dilemmas; reflecting upon how these issues and values resonate or
conflict with own value system of the concerned student; discussing the role of law in the
resolving of the ethical dilemmas; critically evaluating the manner in which the ethical dilemmas
are resolved in relation to our society. These are supposed to be the main questions that shall be
discussed in the following sections of the essay in a critical manner. The most basic argument of
the essay is that the authors Petzko and Shuran harps upon the issue that the most difficult form
of ethical decision making lies in the fact that it is more difficult to decide between two
situations as the only correct one when both of them are correct and the necessity lies in
reconciling the two rights or choosing which one is more correct in comparison to the other one.
This kind of situations are tough as these situations force an individual to commit a wrong by
choosing the more correct one. This is the basic ethical dilemma which shall be discussed in the
essay as hinted by the authors Petzko and Shuran in their article ‘The Toughest Ethical
Decisions: Right v. Right’1.
With regard to the identifying the issues discussed in the article; identifying the different
core values involved in resolving of the ethical dilemmas a critical analysis of the main points
shall be provided in this particular essay. As pointed out by Petzko and Shuran, “It should be
relatively easy to make decisions that are a clear choice between right and wrong. The really
1 N. Petzko, Vicki, and Mick Shuran. "The Toughest Ethical Decisions: Right V. Right."
Google.com. N.p., 2019. Web. 1 Sept. 2019.

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difficult decisions are those that require you to choose between two right options2”, this has
been critiqued by Kidder (1995) which he had used examples to explain his position by saying
that, “All of us face tough choices. Sometimes we duck them. Sometimes we address
them….however, we don’t always decide to resolve them….Sometimes we simply bull our way
through to a conclusion by sheer impatience and assertive self-will, as though getting it
resolved is more important than getting it right3”. Kidder has said that the situation is very
much relatable to a situation that prevails in a school environment wherein he says that a teacher
who tends to abuse a child gets overlooked while a child who abuses the teacher is very strictly
handled, which has somewhat been viewed with a critical undertone by Kidder (1995), and hue
has also made it very evident that in this way the justice is not upheld rather the injustice is
perpetrated is more as what justice means to one is injustice to the other person and that was
being manifested in the situation given by Kidder (1995). Having implied that with a critical
undertone, Kidder (1995) points out that it is a situation of ethical dilemma that is faced by the
person who has upon himself or herself to with regard to taking the decisions as to which one is
correct and which one is not. Thus it can be said that what Petzko and Shuran has defined as tbe
difficulty in arriving at a decision to decide between two rights, Kidder (1995) has mentioned of
such decision making as a mechanism by which decision is made by overlooking one aspect over
the other based upon the situation and also adjudging upon what is more advantageous and shall
be having more advantage over the other, and also which decision shall lead to less consequences
of adverse nature than the other.
2 N. Petzko, Vicki, and Mick Shuran. "The Toughest Ethical Decisions: Right V. Right." Google.com. N.p., 2019.
Web. 1 Sept. 2019.
3 N. Petzko, Vicki, and Mick Shuran. "The Toughest Ethical Decisions: Right V. Right." Google.com. N.p., 2019.
Web. 1 Sept. 2019.

3THE TOUGHEST ETHICAL DECISIONS
In this section of the essay the focus shall be on discussing the role of law in the resolving
of the ethical dilemmas; critically evaluating the manner in which the ethical dilemmas are
resolved in relation to our society, with a critical undertone. With regard to the critically
evaluating the manner in which the ethical dilemmas are resolved in relation to our society
Kidder (1995) had pointed out certain methods in which it happens4. The choice making between
the individual and the community has been explained by Kidder (1995) as such decision making
which as Petzko and Shuran has mentioned as choosing between two rights as a mechanism by
which decision is made by overlooking one aspect over the other based upon the situation and
also adjudging upon what is more advantageous and shall be having more advantage over the
other, and also which decision shall lead to less consequences of adverse nature than the other.
The theoretical undertone of Jeremy Bentham is very much relevant in this aspect as he had
talked of the majority rule to be the best form of justice that can prevail in society and even if
that means the crushing of the rights of the minority5. Secondly, Kidder (1995) points out, which
is much more appropriate on discussing the role of law in the resolving of the ethical dilemmas
with a critical undertone the in legal terms it is always justice which prevails over the mercy and
it is always the truth which prevails over the loyalty6. The examples of court trials and that of the
whistleblowers have been provided, which can be helpful in the critical analysis of the original
position taken by Petzko and Shuran that choosing between two rights is a difficult aspect.
Thus at the concluding section it can be said that the original position taken by Petzko
and Shuran that choosing between two rights is a difficult aspect is true but that is inevitable as
4 Shapiro, Joan Poliner, and Jacqueline A. Stefkovich. Ethical leadership and decision making in education:
Applying theoretical perspectives to complex dilemmas. Routledge, 2016.
5 Kidder, Rushworth M. How good people make tough choices. New York: Morrow, 1995.
6 Collins, Jim. "Good to Great-(Why Some Companies Make the Leap and others Don't)." (2009): 102-105.

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the society and the legal set up is bound by the act of taking decision which are more beneficial
and that is the safest resort.

5THE TOUGHEST ETHICAL DECISIONS
References
Collins, Jim. "Good to Great-(Why Some Companies Make the Leap and others Don't)." (2009):
102-105.
Kidder, Rushworth M. How good people make tough choices. New York: Morrow, 1995.
N. Petzko, Vicki, and Mick Shuran. "The Toughest Ethical Decisions: Right V. Right."
Google.com. N.p., 2019. Web. 1 Sept. 2019.
Shapiro, Joan Poliner, and Jacqueline A. Stefkovich. Ethical leadership and decision making in
education: Applying theoretical perspectives to complex dilemmas. Routledge, 2016.