The 4 Types of Ethical Dilemmas — and Where You Stand on Each
Most moral conflicts are not between good and evil. They are between two goods: honesty and loyalty, individual rights and community welfare, immediate needs and long-term consequences, justice and mercy. Philosopher Rushworth Kidder identified these four core paradigms in 1995. On SplitVote, every dilemma maps onto at least one of them — and the data shows which type splits people most persistently.
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Your closest friend is about to quit their job, sell their apartment, and move abroad for a 4-month-old relationship. They ask you honestly: 'Do you think I'm making a mistake?'
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Research background
Framework from Rushworth Kidder, How Good People Make Tough Choices (1995). Truth vs Loyalty: honesty versus allegiance. Individual vs Community: autonomy versus collective welfare. Short-term vs Long-term: immediate costs versus future consequences. Justice vs Mercy: consistent rules versus compassionate exceptions. SplitVote data shows Justice vs Mercy and Truth vs Loyalty produce the most even splits.
SplitVote is for entertainment and aggregate insight, not a scientific test.
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