Moral Dilemma

1. What is a moral dilemma? A genuine dilemma is one type of moral problem, captured by the expression “You’re damned if you do, damned if you don’t.” That is, in a dilemma, there appears to be no right answer or solution (Dreisbach, 2008). Moral dilemmas, at the very least, involve conflicts between moral requirements (McConnell, 2010).

3. The four questions that must be asked to establish if a Dirty Harry Problem exists are:
Did the agent know the situation and the choices that it offers?
The answer to this question is yes. Dirty Harry had a previous history with Scorpio and knew that Scorpio was capable of being unscrupulous. Therefore, Dirty Harry knew both the situation and the choices that this situation offered. Did Dirty Harry know the difference between right and wrong when he decided to pursue Scorpio by any means necessary?
The answer to this question is yes. Dirty Harry is an officer of the law and not only has he studies, but he has also taken an oath to uphold the laws in the Constitution. As an officer, he has undergone training and knows that it is his duty to uphold and not defy the laws of the land he has sworn to protect. As enforcers of law, police have a special duty to obey them (Dreisbach, 2008). Dirty Harry clearly knew the difference between right and wrong.

Did Dirty Harry act from free will?
The answer to this question is yes. He was able to do otherwise but he chose instead to pursue Scorpio, by any means he deemed necessary. Dirty Harry knew he had plenty of alternatives, but he chose to ignore them. He chose to defy the law he was sworn to uphold and follow and torture Scorpio.

Did Dirty Harry intend to act as he did?
The answer to this question is yes. Dirty Harry intentionally acted as he did. He was well aware of the alternatives, but instead chose to break into Scorpio’s apartment. Dirty Harry thereafter chose to torture Scorpio, while ignoring Scorpio’s request for an attorney.

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