Finding a way to supply everyone who needs it with a potion would render the whole "moral dilemma" meaningless.
I'd expand it my way:
"Finding a way to supply
through the easy way everyone who needs it with a potion would render the whole "moral dilemma" meaningless."
(snip)
I personally believe that finding a solution that makes
everyone happy (a so-called "win-win" solution) should
a) be made much more challenging (read: difficult)
b) but should be rewarded much, much more, than a relatively simple solution (give 2 potions to 2 out of 3 persons and let one die).
c) And of course this "difficult way" should be or become much more complex - a *real* challenge, like in real life ! (You know, it's quite difficult to get an agreement / an solution between two groups like in politics, for example ! - The more difficult, the more they are opposing one another !)
(snip)
You are talking about a moral
choice, not about a moral
dilemma.
A moral choice is about how much effort you are willing to put into doing the right thing, and what conseque
to yourself you are willing to accept. In other words, it´s all about good, evil and the gray-area in between.
The essential ingredient of a moral dilemma is that something very negative WILL happen, no matter what you do, it´s all about choosing the lesser evil/greater good. Consequently, offering ANY path, no matter how difficult, that avoids all negative consequences is chickening out of the dilemma, unless you consider stealing the formula a negative event. But the choice between stealing and letting someone die is a rather weak dilemma, don´t you think?
Ultimatly, moral dilemmas are all about finding out more about yourself: What do you consider good and evil, and, more importantly, lesser/greater good and evil.
But maybe it is the "glass is half-empty" nature of our examples that makes people want to have a "way out": All of them have so far been about choosing the lesser evil. So lets talk about choosing the greater good!
Example: You have inherited a large house you have no use for, and you wish to donate itto a worthy cause. You are approached by people presenting different projects: One person wishes to turn it into a school, another into an orphanage, and yet another into a small hospital for the poor.
And just in case someone tries to chicken out again (:p): All agree that they do NOT want you to sell the house and divide the money evenly because the small sum that would remain for each applicant would be next to no help at all to any of them.
