sample essays on ethical dilemma

It's much harder to explain what sets apart a great essay from a mediocre one than it is to simply read a successful sample essay. Here's an essay that really does speak for itself, immediately bringing us along to experience the ethical dilemma that this student faced. Not only does she draw us into her struggle, but she comes out having made the best decision for herself and her school. While the topic can seem risky, it clearly conveys her strength of character and ability to realize how the decisions she makes can impact various lives. And which college wouldn't want those qualities on its campus? I sat in my principal’s office along with two friends, wondering if I was making a serious mistake. My principal stared at us from across his desk and adjusted his glasses. “Why are you all here?” I hesitantly said, “We want to talk to you about plagiarism.” One of our classmates, an extremely bright student capable of achieving excellent grades without cheating, had lifted a full lab report from the internet for our chemistry assignment. She was a friend of mine and we were often lab partners who enjoyed discussing the orbital distribution of electrons and the effects of a water molecule’s polarity. A week earlier I had sat at my desk reading her lab report, growing evermore frustrated and angry. The level of analysis in the report transcended anything she could have come up with on her own. No sophomore I knew could write as she had, and it did not appear to be written in her style. My classmates and I had spent hours upon hours working on the same report that we soon discovered she had simply copied and pasted from different websites. I am a naturally empathetic person and pride myself on my loyalty to friends. I have made some great sacrifices on behalf of those close to me and initially wanted to keep this particular issue between me and my friend. When I.
While still at school I was aware that a classmate was about to cheat on a national examination. Though I disapproved of him doing so I decided not to intervene either by discussing the matter with him or by informing anyone in authority either to prevent it happening or to correct it afterwards. Though my decision was purely out of concern for myself, retrospectively I can see that many circumstances pertaining to that particular situation led to the decision that I made on that occasion. I discovered the boy’s intention through his boastfulness. Something of an attention-seeker he could not resist informing others of his plans in advance, though he was very secretive as to how he would do so. All I knew was that he had a means of accessing source materials while in the examination room without it being obvious he was doing so. He also let slip that his idea was foolproof ‘unless he was searched’; an item of information that told me his intentions may indeed have been thwarted had I or another classmate alerted the school authorities. I believed he was telling the truth. Though boastful, he was not given to dishonesty, at least in that respect. The proof of his boast was to come later with the grade he obtained, a very high grade that surprised his teachers given it was a subject in which he had proved himself academically weak. At the time, insofar as the decision I made to say nothing arose from conscious reasoning, I would cite several factors. Firstly I did not entirely trust the discretion of my teachers. I was concerned that I may have been revealed as the informant and would have to face any repercussions coming out of that. The boy could be something of a bully. Secondly there was that sense of honor that tends to afflict peer groups, including pupils at school. The idea of being a ‘snitch’ or a ‘tell-tale’ was not a welcome one and I knew that amongst my.
EssayEdge significantly improves each essay using the same voice as the author. The only way to evaluate editing is to compare the original essay with the edited version. We significantly improve essays both for clients who write poorly and for clients who write well. Edited Essay Prompt: Please describe an ethical issue that you have faced in your professional life, how you dealt with the situation and what the outcome was. After fighting for years to be promoted to the position of tank company executive officer, I believed that transitioning into the role would be relatively easy. I could not have been more mistaken. As soon as the paperwork settled and I donned my new uniform, I encountered an ethical dilemma that cast all of my previous training into doubt. The officer I replaced had been less than forthcoming in his maintenance reports to the company and battalion commanders. The officer had fabricated data on the number of maintenance problems in order to look better in the eyes of his superiors. This presented me with a tricky problem. Army command needs an accurate count of battle-ready tanks in case of deployment. Companies send weekly reports on the maintenance status of their tanks to their battalion, and this data is passed on to the highest levels of army command. The army aims for ninety percent readiness in case of war. The outgoing officer's dishonesty was inconsistent with my (and his) military training; officers trained at the United States Military Academy take an oath from the first day of matriculation to maintain a strict standard of integrity. The cadet creed states that, a cadet will not lie, cheat, or steal, nor tolerate those who do. I internalized this creed at the academy, and I became unyielding in my forthrightness. I could not overlook my fellow officer's behavior, but was it right for me to report him? The army is built on trust.
Prompt: Describe an ethical dilemma you experienced firsthand. How did you manage and resolve the situation? Example of What Not To Do. This is a poor answer to this question. In April 1995,[company] had been repeatedly contacted by the management team of a factory in [city], who presented their company as a potential [deal] prospect. However, our prior investigations had classified the company as an also-ran, without great potential for improvement. We reasoned that a visit would be a waste of time and served no viable business purpose, but wondered: why not utilize this opportunity to wring industry information out of the factory? Afterwards, we could simply state our lack of interest with no loss on [company]‘s part except travel expenses. Looking back, I recognized the dishonesty inherent in my team’s motives, but rationalized that the cover of being interested in the factory was a professional necessity. In any case, no one would be hurt, or so we surmised. Most of the visit went smoothly; under the guise of interested investors, we toured the factory and interviewed management, laying the groundwork for negotiations that I knew would never occur. The factory manager was extremely responsive in providing answers and was a gracious host, toasting us with eloquent speeches at dinner. Afterwards, as we prepared to return to our hotel to arrange the next day’s travel, he surprised us by announcing a special post-dinner presentation. Following a short car ride down a deserted dirt road, we were brought to a ominous, isolated building and led inside. As we walked through the door, I recall nervously questioning what we were doing there and wondering if the factory had somehow learned of our true disinterested nature. The first thing I noticed inside the building were the five hundred men, women and children in the room standing and applauding us; we were led to the.
Skip to main content. Search for. Synonym Antonyms Definitions The Classroom » Higher Education Prep » How to Write a Paper on Ethical Dilemmas by Kristyn Hammond, Demand Media Papers on ethical dilemmas let you practice making ethical decisions. Related Articles How to Write an Argumentative Paper for AP English How to Write an Art Exhibition Paper How to Write a College Paper APA Style How to Write a Term Paper Proposal An ethical dilemma occurs when two or more specific ethical ideals are at odds and you must make a decision, founded on your logical assessment, about which ethical ideal is more important. Ethical dilemmas allow you to investigate ethical questions from an analytical point of view and make a final determination for yourself. In a paper format, this process is the same and you must make sure that each point is clear and logical. Step 1 Outline the specific ethical dilemma to identify the focus of your topic. If your topic does not contain a specific ethical dilemma, create one for yourself to use as an example through your writing. Make sure that your dilemma is ethical in nature by ensuring that it challenges two separate ethical assertions and forces you to decide between the two. For instance, you may decide to use the ethical dilemma of a hungry person deciding to steal food for himself and his family. Step 2 Determine which ethical standards are being challenged and in what way they are being challenged, to outline your ethical dilemma. List all significant elements of your ethical dilemma. As an example, the question of whether or not to steal for survival challenges the ethical forbearance against theft contrasted with the need for survival. You can consider other ethical elements, such as the difference between the loss of food by the store owner against the loss of life by the thief and his family. Step 3 Create your paper outline and.