MPW 2153

MORAL EDUCATION
FARIHAH AHMAD
KDU UNIVERSITY COLLEGE
SOLVING MORAL
CONFLICT
WEEK 8
NATURE OF A CONFLICT
Oxford:
A serious disagreement or argument

A state of mind in which a person experiences a clash of opposing feelings or needs

A serious incompatibility between two or more opinions, principles, or interests

Be incompatible or at variance; clash

Having or showing confused and mutually inconsistent feelings
NATURE OF A CONFLICT
Coser, 1956
Social conflict is a struggle between opponents over values and claims
to scarce status, power and resources.
Pruitt and Rubin, 1986
Conflict means perceived divergence of interest,
or a belief that the parties' current aspirations cannot be achieved simultaneously.

Wall, 1985
Conflict is a process in which two or more parties attempt to frustrate the other's goal
attainment . . . the factors underlying conflict are threefold: interdependence, differences in
goals, and differences in perceptions.
NATURE OF A CONFLICT
NATURE OF A CONFLICT
NATURE OF A CONFLICT
NATURE OF A CONFLICT
NATURE OF A CONFLICT
Conflicts may arise under the following situation:
1. A type of rights may clash with another type of rights, or a kind
of freedom may clash with another kind of freedom.
Not all rights and freedom must be respected because the
conflict implies some difficulty in respecting all rights and
freedom.
2. Conflicts between one person and another.
Same same freedom and right, BUT the resources are scarce.
3. Conflict between various values and concerns.
NATURE OF A CONFLICT
TYPES OF
CONFLICT
Ethical
Conflict
Normative
Conflict
(in Social
Philosophy)
NATURE OF A CONFLICT
A girl named SARA.
She is publicly seen
as a nice and sweet
person.
She is living with a
man shes in love
with.
Sara believes they
are both really
happy to have
each other.

However!

The man, which is
named Frank, is
married.
Not only that Franks
married, Sara is aware
of that situation, too.
They share secrets and
understand each
other well.
Ethical Conflict
NATURE OF A CONFLICT
So?
She doesnt want
Frank to divorce the
wife because
according to Sara,
Frank and his
wife have kids
wife is really
nice and a very
good person.
Divorce is
wrong from her
view.
Sara keep on suffering
inside.
Ethical Conflict
NATURE OF A CONFLICT
Saras case can be
examined by discussing:

1. Egoism and General
Utility

2. Happiness and duty
Ethical Conflict
NATURE OF A CONFLICT
Normative Conflict
In Social Philosophy
Usually related to freedom, justice, rights, law and sovereignty.
Just like ethical tensions, tensions between values in social philosophy can arise
between categories or criteria of the same value
However, in social philosophy, there is the compilation of who has the final authority to
judge and resolve problems in a society.
There is also the question as to whether the party wielding authority should show his
power through
1. Law
2. Social customs
3. conventions
NATURE OF A CONFLICT
Normative Conflict
In Social Philosophy
Justice and
Social Utility
Rights and
Freedom
EXAMPLES
NATURE OF A CONFLICT
Normative Conflict
In Social Philosophy
1. Justice and Social Utility
Social Utility = will think about benefit,
Without considering the cost.
For the society, the costly groups are:
Children + Elderly + Handicapped
So the utilitarian tend to reduce the cost.
BUT, DENYING THESE ADVANTAGED PEOPLE FROM A FULL SHARE OF BENEFIT SEEMS
UNJUST!
CONFLICT: JUSTICE VS UTILITY
NATURE OF A CONFLICT
Normative Conflict
In Social Philosophy
2. Rights and Freedom
Usually, the of social programmes may affect a person.
For example, the expenditure of any social programme is funded through taxes which
are paid by the public.
BUT paying taxes is tantamount to a restriction of negative and effective freedom.
A woman has the right to have as many children as she likes, but the United Nations
Declaration of Human Rights proclaims that the right of every child to have nutritious
food and medical care for good health.
So to maintain the right of the children are cared, only mothers who can submit to the
childrens right can exercise her freedom to have kids.
NATURE OF A CONFLICT
Normative Conflict
In Social Philosophy
2. Rights and Freedom
On the other hand, in pursuit of values can improve and maintain freedom.
For example:
Sufficient to employ, train and pay for a police force will ensure the preservation of civil
liberties
This shows that the more human rights are respected, the greater will be the growth of
human freedom
Similarly, paying workers fair wages will improve their freedom.
NATURE OF A CONFLICT
Normative Conflict
In Social Philosophy
2. Rights and Freedom

NATURE OF A CONFLICT
As a conclusion, tension often arises between the values of rights and
utility, rights and justice, justice and freedom, and utility and freedom.
The problem of resolving values and conflict can become more
complicated with the number of social values that come into conflict.
Two, three or all four social values of utility, justice, rights, and freedom may
be involved in a conflict in certain social situations, each pulling in a
different direction.