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Lesson 14

Situational Ethics

Being able to express yourself in any communicative situation is the

hallmark of a fluent speaker. Whether the topic is in the field of politics, re-
ligion, business, morality, society, or mundane life, a good English learner

speaker has something to say about it. Having something to say doesn’t
have to mean to have revolutionary ideas or a sparkling wit. It just requires

intellectual honesty and a mind as wide as the horizon and boldness to ex-

press one view despite ones linguistic handicaps. Remember, “No pain, no
gain” and “Practice makes perfect.” So read the following situational topics

and express yourself:
Hypothetical Situation 1:

“The setting is Hitler’s Germany during the Third Reich. You are a Jewish mother on the run. You
and others are fugitives hunted down like a pack of dogs, and when caught the concentration camps

will be the mildest punishment you get. Instant death would be a blessing .You sought shelter in a

run-down barn, and as quiet as a mouse, you pray the soldiers in hot pursuit would pass you by. You
can’t risk even the drop of a pin. But when you think the nightmare would pass, your baby starts to

cry. The soldiers would surely hear it, and not just you and your baby but your companions as well
will suffer the cruelest form of torture imaginable. You are caught in the horns of a dilemma: either

you stifle your child to death to silence her, or you don’t and sacrifice the lives of all. What do you
choose: the life of your child or the life of all?

Hypothetical situation 2:
You are the captain of a cruise vessel. In the middle of nowhere, you are caught in a raging storm

and your ship capsizes, drowning multitudes. Only you and a lucky few manage to get into an emer-
gency boat. But the boat is tiny and can’t hold everybody on board. But having a conscience, you

squeeze all the survivors in. But the boat is overloaded, and the next big wave will surely spell doom

for everybody. The only recourse is to throw excess cargo overboard to lighten the load: but the ex-
cess cargo that remains are humans. Being the captain, you hold everybody life in your hands. You

decide: should you throw a few out to a watery grave to save the rest? Or would you let all die an
equal death?

Comprehension
1. Despite ones linguistic handicap, what is more important than having
revolutionary ideas or a sparkling wit?

Questions

1. What will be your answer for the hypothetical situation 1? How about situation 2?
2. Create similar hypothetical situations involving a dilemma.

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