55 Of The Very Best Moral Dilemma Questions

Have you ever wondered what would you do if you were forced to choose which parent to save from a deadly disaster? Whether the life of a person is more important or valuable than the one of an animal? How would you react if given the chance to save millions of people at the expense of a few of your friends?

Moral dilemmas have been around for centuries. They trigger us so much because there is no right and wrong answer and we are all allowed to have our own opinion on the matter. Moral dilemmas not only help us familiarize ourselves with friends’ and relatives’ ethics but also figure out our own opinion on controversial issues such as gun control, abortion, and the death penalty

This is why we decided to create a list of over 55 moral dilemmas for you to get to know your friends and yourself!

55 Moral Dilemma Questions

A train is going at an incredible speed. You are not on it but can see everything from afar. You soon realize that if the train keeps going at that speed, it will inevitably hit a crowd of a hundred people resulting in the death of each one of them. However, there is a way out of it. There is, in fact, a lever you can pull. If you do it, the train will change direction and hit a single person who will die. What do you do?

Now, think back to the situation above. You find yourself under the same circumstances, but this time, if you pull the lever, a kid will die. What will you do?

Final question. You’re still watching the train going at high speed toward the crowd. Now, if you pull the lever, the only person who will die is your mother. What do you do? 

You’re out at dinner with a boyfriend and all of a sudden, you realize that one of your best friend’s partners is having a date with a very attractive woman. The two are very intimate and it seems pretty obvious that he is cheating. What do you do? Are you going to be honest with your friend and tell her what you just saw?

Now, think of the same situation we just described. But this time, the person who’s cheating is your friend. You’re not too close with her partner, but you now know for sure that she is cheating. What do you do? 

Again, the same situation as above, but this time one of your parents is cheating. You know that if you will be honest with the other parent, their wedding, which has been extremely happy up till now, will end in divorce. What do you do? 

One of your best friends is making tons of money, but you’re pretty sure that what she is doing is illegal. She now asks you to finance her ‘business’ and invest a hundred dollars. She is sure your money will at least double. What do you do? Do you take part in the fraud?

Would you ever steal something from a shop? 

What if it is because you are hungry and cannot afford food?

What if it is to get medicine for your partner that you cannot afford otherwise?

One of your best friends just committed a crime. He robbed a bank and stole a huge amount of money. Do you tell the police?

Same situation as above. But this time, you wake up one morning and realize that someone was arrested and given a life sentence instead of your friend. What do you do? 

Your friend is telling inappropriate jokes and making fun of a minority. It is only you and him and there is nobody else to listen to it. Do you tell him he’s being inappropriate?

Your friend is clearly overreacting to something his girlfriend did. You know that if you disagree with him he will probably get mad at you and cut you out of his life at least for some time. Do you choose to be honest with him or do you play along and agree with everything he says? 

You are going back home after a long day at work and accidentally hit a car and cause damage. Do you leave a piece of paper on the car with your contact? 

Someone at work did a very exhausting task that no one ever wants to do. Your boss thinks it is you and gives you a raise. Do you tell him you were not the person who did it?

One of your favorite colleagues broke one of the most important rules of the company, but someone else got the blame for it. The guy who is being scolded is not your friend and everyone at work hates him. Would you tell your boss the truth? 

Your partner admits he has fallen in love with someone else. He says he still loves you deeply, but he realized he also has strong feelings for another person. Despite being afraid of losing you, he decided to be honest with you and share his emotions. What do you do? 

Your partner admits she had cheated. It only happened one time and she is extremely sorry. She told you right away and is now trying her best to win your trust back. Do you give her another chance? 

Your friend finds out he’s homosexual and doesn’t know whether or not to tell his wife. If he does, the two will surely end up divorcing and he will only be able to see his kids sporadically. Do you think he should be honest with his wife? 

You just bought a loaf of bread and the cashier gives you a few extra dollars of change. Do you give him the money back or pretend not to notice? 

Same example as above, but this time, you’re buying a laptop and they give you a hundred euros extra. What do you do? 

Would you rather save a single human or a hundred dogs?

You just finished your dental visit. Your dentist gives you two options. You can either pay legally and get a receipt which will cost you 400 dollars, or do everything illegally. In that case, you would save 80 dollars. What do you do? 

You receive a package that was not for you. Inside there is something you’ve been wanting to buy for quite some time but were never able to afford. Do you return the package or keep it for yourself? 

You order some clothes online. When the package arrives, you realize you put the wrong measurements on the website and nothing fits you. If you admit it was your fault you will have to pay for another order. However, if you declare it was a company’s mistake you will get new clothes for free. What do you do?

Your neighbor has a dog, but he’s not taking proper care of it. The animal is always trapped on a small balcony and you often hear him crying. You notice your neighbor never takes his pet outside and you see the dog often shivering from the cold. What do you do? 

Both your neighbors often spend their nights shouting at each other and you suspect there may be some domestic violence taking place. What do you do? 

You’re at college and are obliged to take a class you truly hate. You tried your best to study for the final exam, but despite all your efforts, you cannot understand the subject. This is a class that has nothing to do with your major and you will never need this knowledge for your future career. The final exam is online and it would be extremely easy for you to cheat. What do you do?

You have a friend whom you truly love. You spend hours and hours together playing video games, going for walks, and simply having a blast. However, when you are with other people, he often embarrasses you. He always wears awful clothes and you are afraid that your friends may judge you, seeing the two of you together. What do you do? Do you pretend not to know him or admit that you are good friends?

Your country is at war. You are taken prisoner by the enemy. They are now asking you to shoot one of your innocent comrades. If you don’t, they will immediately shoot you instead. What do you do?

You’re in a foreign third-world country. You see a man hitting a woman. What do you do? Do you step in or simply mind your business? 

Would you ever tell a small lie to your partner to avoid a huge argument? 

If you were given the chance, would you kill baby Hitler?

A strange disease has spread throughout a metropolis. The disease is extremely contagious and takes a few days to manifest. The chances of dying from it are extremely high. The authorities put the city in quarantine. No one is allowed to get in and no one is allowed to get out. You have the chance to help some people with no symptoms get out. What do you do?

A stranger offers you a million dollars if you have sexual interaction with a random person. What do you do? 

A stranger offers you a million dollars if you push a button. If you do, a random person in the world would die. What do you do?

You have been dating a girl you truly like for quite some time. You think you love her as you haven’t felt like this for quite some time. One day, however, she finds out that in the past you slept with one of your best friends. She is now not ok with you two seeing each other again. What do you do? 

Same situation as above but with a small difference. She is ok with you two seeing each other, but doesn’t want the two of you to be alone together. What do you do? 

You’re on holiday and meet an amazing guy. Both of you soon fall in love. But there is a problem. The guy is married. He said he loves his wife but also has feelings for you. He would love to be honest with her but knows that if he will, they will end up getting a divorce. Do you ignore the whole thing and simply enjoy the time left you have together or cut your relationship with this man? 

Same situation as above, but now the man is not married. However, he has been dating a girl for a few weeks. The two are together, but it’s not something serious. What do you do? 

Would you buy a weapon if you were to live in a dangerous neighborhood?

You find out that you are a father. One of your ex-girlfriends got pregnant and never told you. She gave birth to the baby and later found a partner with whom to raise the kid. She told her daughter that he was her real father. They seem to be living happily together. Do you tell the kid you are her actual father? 

You deeply fall in love with someone extremely religious. In order for you to have a relationship with her, you need to convert to her religion. You’ve always been an atheist and truly cannot force yourself to believe in a God. What do you do?

Should the death penalty be legal?

Should torture be legal? 

You have been in a happy relationship for years. One night you drink a bit too much and end up cuddling with a stranger. The whole thing didn’t mean anything to you, but you are now feeling guilty. You know that if you bring this up with your partner, you will have a massive argument that may result in the end of your relationship. What do you do? 

One of your best friends wants to put an end to his life. He has been thinking about it for over a year and feels this is the best decision for him. Do you try to convince him otherwise or let him have euthanasia?

Should organ donation be compulsory?

Should blood donation be compulsory? 

Should we all have the same vote power?

You just found out we all live in a simulation. Unfortunately, the outside world is terrible. What do you do? Do you tell all your family and friends or keep it to yourself?

You have the chance to live in an ideal world where everyone is happy and everything works perfectly. However, if you decide to go there, you will never be able to go back to the real world and see your beloved ones. What do you do?

Would you rather live a happy life or a morally good one?

You are hired to investigate a series of murders. After months of investigation you find out the killer is one of your siblings. What do you do?

Should we ban cigarettes?

Should it be legal to smoke in public places, such as streets and parks? 

If you think that cigarettes should not be legal, what are your thoughts on alcohol and other dangerous substances such as soft drinks and unhealthy snacks?