dilemmas www.teachthinking.com Simon Geschwindt reports on what happens when students dissect an 'ancient irresolvable dilemma' Ethics or instinct? Enduring Love, Ian McEwan, 1997 Summary The narrator, Joe Rose, and his wife, Clarissa Melon, have been apart for six weeks. They celebrate her homecoming with a walk in the Chilterns followed by a picnic. They hear a cry for help. Joe finds that a few hundred yards away a grounded helium balloon is being buffeted by gusts of wind. There is a young boy in the basket, and a middle-aged man (the boy’s grandfather) struggling to hold down the basket. Above them there are high tension cables. Joe doesn’t hesitate. Together with four other men who have answered the cry, he rushes to help. They all hang onto the basket while the grandfather tries to coax the panicstricken boy out of the basket. A sudden surge of wind lifts the balloon, and all five men are lifted off their feet. 30 TTC23_pg30-35_Ethnics_instincts.30 30 Then one lets go and the balloon lurches upwards. Joe lets go, followed by two others. Only one hangs on until the balloon reaches a height of about 100 metres. He plunges to his death. Extract 'Our misery in the aftermath was proof that we knew we had failed ourselves. But letting go was in our nature too. Selfishness is also written in our hearts. This is our mammalian conflict – what to give to the others, and what to keep for yourself. Treading that line, keeping the others in check, and being kept in check by them, is what we call morality. Hanging a few feet above the Chilterns escarpment, our crew enacted morality’s ancient, irresolvable dilemma: us, or me.’ Joe Rose, narrator, Enduring Love, Ian McEwan, 1997. Teaching Thinking&Creativity Vol 8:2 11/6/07 11:16:14 www.teachthinking.com dilemmas Y ou are one of five people hanging onto the ropes of a grounded helium balloon. There is a frightened young boy in the balloon’s basket. A sudden gust of wind lifts the balloon. You are all lifted off your feet. If one lets go, the balloon will rise further and head straight for high-voltage power cables. What should you do – hang on or let go? A group of secondary students at a summer school took one and a half days to get to grips with this dilemma, taken from Ian McEwan’s novel Enduring Love. Facilitated by Professor Karin Murris of educational consultants, Dialogue Works, the group used a six-step method of ethical decision-making, known as Dilemma Training. (See table 1.) As part of the first of the six steps, they were given the benefit of the thoughts of the narrator of Enduring Love, Joe Rose. They read the book’s opening chapter, and chose the following information as relevant to a consideration of the morality of the decision: l l l l ‘My first impulse was to hang on in order to keep the balloon weighted down.’ ‘It was my duty to hang on, and I thought we would all do the same.’ ‘The point must come when to let go would be impossible or fatal.’ ‘Perhaps my impulse to hang on was … simply a failure to adjust quickly.’ SIX-STEPS TO BETTER DECISIONS Step 1 What should I do? Step 2 Who is involved & whose decision is it? Step 3 Do I need to know more? Step 4 What are the reasons for and against? Step 5 What is my decision? Step 6 How do I feel about my decision and how can I keep the damage to others and myself to a minimum? Table 1 Teaching Thinking& Creativity Vol 8:2 TTC23_pg30-35_Ethnics_instincts.31 31 © DialogueWorks 31 11/6/07 11:16:17 dilemmas www.teachthinking.com They then watched scenes from the video (rated 18) which were carefully selected in view of the age group (14–17). The key to the value of ethical decision-making is that it acknowledges self-interest whilst allowing for the interests and rights of others. Ethical decisions take into account the possible consequences for all those potentially affected. They are the stakeholders. As such, they have a moral claim on the decision-maker. The next step, then, was to establish who these ‘others’ were. Who has a moral claim? In step 2, the students drew up a list of some of the stakeholders in their possible order of importance: l l l l l l l l l l James Gadd, married with 2 children (one mentally disabled) the balloon pilot and the boy’s granddad, aged 55 Dr John Logan, married with 2 children, aged 42 Joseph Lacey, farm labourer, married, aged 63 Joe Rose, married, no children Toby Greene, farm labourer, unmarried, aged 58 Jed Parry, unemployed (aged 28) The boy Harry Gadd (aged 10) The boy Harry’s parents Joe’s wife Clarissa Mellon the owner of the balloon Joe’s was a childless marriage, a point picked up by one of the students. This was possibly relevant because it might imply that he had less empathy for the child Harry, or his parents and grandparents. Joe’s reaction was: ‘The child was not my child, and I was not going to die for it.’ (Was this justification or rationalisation?) Other relevant factors Reasons In step 4 the group then gave their reasons for either hanging on or letting go (see Table 2) These were discussed at great length, especially arguments 1 and 2. Some of the reasons given were rejected as rationalisations, excuses or simply non-arguments. For example k. was identified as a nonargument, as was i. – ‘he could be an Adolf Hitler’. The students spent several hours unpicking and evaluating these arguments. This stage revealed the enormous complexity of the dilemma, and the importance of collaborative thinking to help unravel it. For example, in response to 1., the group discussed the possible reasons for guilt. Linked to 2., ‘save the young boy’s life’, the principle of sanctity of life emerged. Yet h. – the boy is more like to survive in the basket than if I fall from high up – refers to the principle of the sanctity of one’s own life. Principle-based arguments were distinguished from consequentialist arguments, and the underlying principles identified. Often, dilemmas reflect a conflict between different principles, for example loyalty v. truth-telling, but the conflict here centred around deciding which person should be given the benefit of the same principles, protection and sanctity of life. Most students had initially reacted with ‘I’d hang on’. But gradually what emerged was not just compassion for the boy, but also compassion for and loyalty to Clarissa, Joe’s wife, who might have had to see her husband fall to his death. From Joe Rose’s perspective, this boiled down to loyalty to his wife v. loyalty to a stranger. ‘This made it much more complex than even the author probably intended,’ commented the facilitator, Karin Murris. Decision Step 5 of the Dilemma Training method involves deciding what course of action should be taken in the light of the outcomes of the previous steps. In step 3 the young people came up with other facts that might have some bearing on their decision: l l l l l l l l The weather is unstable. There is ‘a strong, gusty wind’ The other men who were hanging on were quite old One had a bad smoker’s cough Your wife is watching from the ground, and you are seven years into ‘a childless marriage of love’ You can’t see the faces of the others The boy inside the basket is scared – you can smell urine You don’t know the boy, nor the others hanging onto the ropes In the author’s words: ‘There may have been a vague communality of purpose, but we were never a team’; ‘No one was in charge – or everyone was…’ 32 TTC23_pg30-35_Ethnics_instincts.32 32 Those who decided they would hang on, did so because: Those who decided they would let go, did so because of: 8 despite h 8 despite e 12 despite m 1 despite j 8 despite b 5 despite d 8 despite m 12 despite m m despite 8 a & m despite 6 j despite 3 d despite 3 d despite 9 e despite 1 b despite 2 d despite 8 Teaching Thinking&Creativity Vol 8:2 11/6/07 11:16:18 www.teachthinking.com dilemmas I hang on, because I let go, because 1. To stop the guilt I would feel after the event!!! a. Boy may not be saved even if everyone hangs on so better to let go and hope everyone follows 2. I would feel uncontrollable guilt, if I knew that I had never even tried to save the young boy’s life b. Then more people will let go as well. This saves 5 lives and there is nothing to say the boy will definitively die c. By jumping you make it socially acceptable to jump and potentially save 5 lives 3. It will strengthen the resolve of the group and so help save the boy 4. More people might still hang on too 5. Saving the majority with a utilitarianist discounts the individual needs of every member present in particular the boy (Harry) 6. I have the chance to do something good and if the boy died I couldn’t forgive myself 7. If I was in the boys situation I would really appreciate help! d. The boy is less likely to die than me if I hang on, if I let go he may become more likely to die but I will be safe e. The trauma of letting my wife watch me fall to my death including leaving her a widow means I should put myself first to put her first f. My wife would not have to go through pain 8. I can collectively, with the crew, maximise the chances of everybody getting to safety g. There is a chance that others would as well. I would save myself, my wife the grief, and possibly the others would survive and there is a chance that the boy will keep on rising h. The boy is more likely to survive in the basket than if I fall from high up 9. Jumping could seriously injure someone (i.e. you or another) i. The boy may not be nice anyway (he might turn out to be an Adolf Hitler) 10. Is more likely to bring more happiness to more people j. Then my life is not in danger 11. After some time the wind will drop and so will the balloon k. People’s lives are at risk, and I don’t want to play God with their lives 12. The balloon is more likely to come down with my weight on l. Even if the wind drops the balloon is filled with helium and will still rise! Table 2 Teaching Thinking& Creativity Vol 8:2 TTC23_pg30-35_Ethnics_instincts.33 33 m. It could be physically impossible to hold on, so it is safer to let go now 33 11/6/07 11:16:18 dilemmas www.teachthinking.com Of the major principles to emerge, the most important was self-protection. Yet even the same principle can pull you apart – for example, self-protection and sanctity of life but in respect to different people, the boy or the men hanging on. Another major principle involved – loyalty – swayed many towards letting go. They thought it more ethical to consider loyalty towards Clarissa than towards the boy. Last step Step 6 examines how the participants feel about the decision they have reached. It is important because it is possible to reach the ‘right’ decision, and yet not feel right about carrying it out, for example where you are not prepared to face the consequences. In this session there was no time left for this step, although all participants did say they felt satisfied with their decision. We are what we repeatedly do. Excellence then, is not an act but a habit. Aristotle (384–322 BC) that of a middle-aged man. You have seconds to decide. That’s why, in Aristotle’s words, ‘Excellence then, is not an act but a habit.’ ‘The idea for me is that the training informs instinct, a complex response to difficult situations,’ says Karin Murris. ‘I suppose I prefer to call it intuition. Intuitively you will act with greater integrity because of the training even if you only have a few seconds in which to decide.’ ‘So can we accept that it was right, every man for himself?’ Joe Rose asks, particularly in view of the fact that, ‘What is certain is that if we had not broken ranks, our collective weight would have brought the balloon to earth … a few seconds later as the gust subsided.’ And where did poor Dr Logan’s ‘integrity’ get him? As the one person who had hung on, he finally plummeted to his death, almost certainly having achieved little or nothing. In Joe’s words, ‘We watched him drop. You could see the acceleration. No forgiveness, no special dispensation for flesh, or bravery, or kindness. Only ruthless gravity.’ One important question remained: was Joe Rose right when he said ‘being good doesn’t make sense’? It is possible, for example, that having weighed up all the pros and cons of both horns of a dilemma, and having decided on the right course of action, that in some cases you take the other option. This is where ‘integrity’ comes in – which includes the habit of doing the right thing once you have figured out what it is. People with integrity tend to make the right decisions and stick to them even when time is short and they are under extreme pressure. It requires a lot of practice before you can make a habit of acting ethically under the pressures of daily life. You need to determine the relevant facts and thoroughly understand them, and to be able to predict their likely consequences, as well as to prioritise competing choices. You then need the skills to implement your decisions effectively. It’s a bit like physical training – the more you do it, the faster and sharper you become. It could be claimed that Dr Logan, who hung on, displayed greater integrity than the others who jumped (unless he simply reacted too late). He might have believed that by hanging on for as long as he could, he would help prevent the balloon from hitting the overhead power lines, and thereby save the boy’s life. But whatever the decision, in such circumstances it has to be quick – almost instinctive. In the words of Joe Rose, Ian McEwan’s narrator in Enduring Love, ‘… no emergency was ever dealt with effectively by democratic process.’ There is no time for utilitarian-style calculations such as weighing up the benefits of a child’s life measured against Karin Murris in the midst of a dilemma 34 TTC23_pg30-35_Ethnics_instincts.34 34 Teaching Thinking&Creativity Vol 8:2 11/6/07 11:16:21 www.teachthinking.com dilemmas The value of dilemma training So, what was the answer? Should Joe have hung on or let go? Should he have come down on the side of ‘us’ or ‘me’, a decision made more complex because of Clarissa? The equally divided results of the students’ systematic attempt to find an answer reveal that there is no answer – that such ‘ancient’ dilemmas stubbornly remain ‘irresolvable’. The results also reveal their labyrinthine complexity, and the necessity of a step-by-step approach to analysing and understanding them before rushing to judge those involved. ‘You need the thoughts of the others involved to inform your own thinking,’ Murris points out. Thankfully, dilemmas in life are hardly ever as brutally stark as this – and rarely are the stakes so high. Joe probably acted on instinct – a gut reaction. But whether or not they turn out to have produced the ‘right’ decisions, gut reactions tend to be difficult to justify ethically. If you have the opportunity and knowledge to systematically and rationally think through your choices, they are usually a lot easier to live with long after the event. The training also helps relieve the fear of being a fool – of being ripped off – and the resultant tendency to make choices competitively. Once you have made it a habit, a principle even, to solve dilemmas ethically, it is easier to come to terms with the sad fact that in most cases those who act morally will risk being the victim of those who don’t. Comment Young people’s behaviour continues to trouble parents and teachers. Public concern is fuelled by a perceived decline in values and respect for authority, leaving a so-called ‘moral vacuum’. But is there really a moral vacuum? Are young people really more a-moral or im-moral than previous generations? There are signs to the contrary. There seems to be more concern for the rights of others. There is definitely a greater tolerance towards the elderly, gays, women, different races, foreigners, animals, children and the environment. ‘When you work with young people aged 14 to 17 they reveal great integrity and sophistication in thinking through their actions,’ Karin Murris comments. ‘By contrast, when you do similar work with adults you are usually confronted with many more rationalisations and excuses.’ She says that to regard young people as being at the epicentre of the current so-called moral crisis misses the point. It is the march of democratisation that lies at the root of the moral ‘crisis’. This is because it brings with it the core values of autonomy and equality. And these demand a vigorous, critical attitude towards authoritarian moral guidance. Teaching Thinking& Creativity Vol 8:2 TTC23_pg30-35_Ethnics_instincts.35 35 Young people no longer unquestioningly accept what they are told to do or think. In the West, they rarely see themselves as part of a larger order dictating their ‘station in life’. They now assume their right to choose their own way of life and have much more freedom to decide which values to live by. Although this ideal of self-fulfilment has been criticised as selfish and egocentric, the underlying moral principle of authenticity, of being true to oneself, is a strong moral force that needs to be taken seriously if moral education is to be effective and meaningful. This is closely linked to autonomy – having the freedom to decide for yourself what and who you want to be. ‘Education’s greatest challenge is to teach ways in which individuals learn to make decisions that go beyond the self – that provide the discipline to construct arguments to include all stakeholders in decision making,’ Murris concludes. ‘Ethical decision-making helps to give young people the courage to stand up for themselves, and to make the choices they believe are morally right.’ Simon Geschwindt is Head of Communications at DailogueWorks Lts and author of Am I right or am I right? An introduction to ethical decision-making Acknowledgments Dr Karin Murris, Visiting Professor of Practical Philosophy and Ethics, School of Education, University of Wales, Newport, would like to thank the young people who took part in this ethical decision-making session. Their insights and commitment have been invaluable for her. She would also like to thank the rest of the team involved, including Dr Andrew Davis of the University of Durham, and teacher Lisa Cartwright. Their collaborative teaching was a delight and inspiration. References Geschwindt, Simon (2007), Am I right or am I right? An introduction to ethical decision-making. Calgary, Canada, Trafford. McEwan, Ian, London,Vintage, 1998, Enduring Love (the film 2004). Teaching Thinking. Refer to the magazine’s earlier articles on Dilemma Training. Making school a better place, Issue 14. What should I do? Issue 15. Karin Murris and Joanna Haynes are developing Dilemma Training resources, and Dialogue Works offers DT courses (see www.dialogueworks.co.uk). 35 11/6/07 11:16:22