In ethical decision making, which of the following are examples of competing values?

In ethical decision making, which of the following are examples of competing values?

• A. Uncertainty
• B. Potential harm
• C. Competing values
• D. Personal desire

Answer: (C)

In ethical decision making, you often face situations where different values pull in opposing directions and you can’t satisfy all of them at once. That clash—when multiple values compete for priority—is what competing values describes. It names the situation where you must balance principles like autonomy, fairness, safety, privacy, or honesty, and you have to weigh which value takes precedence in the context. Uncertainty isn’t a value; it’s a condition about how sure you are. Potential harm is a risk or outcome to consider, not a value being weighed against others. Personal desire is a single motive, which might influence a decision, but it isn’t by itself the dynamic of conflicting values that requires balancing multiple principles.

In ethical decision making, you often face situations where different values pull in opposing directions and you can’t satisfy all of them at once. That clash—when multiple values compete for priority—is what competing values describes. It names the situation where you must balance principles like autonomy, fairness, safety, privacy, or honesty, and you have to weigh which value takes precedence in the context.

Uncertainty isn’t a value; it’s a condition about how sure you are. Potential harm is a risk or outcome to consider, not a value being weighed against others. Personal desire is a single motive, which might influence a decision, but it isn’t by itself the dynamic of conflicting values that requires balancing multiple principles.