When two duties clash, list each response, test it against the same questions, and choose the one that respects the most people. Then explain the choice in a sentence for each test.
This lesson is part of personal and family responsibilities.
What three tests can you use?
- Is it honest? Does it avoid hiding or bending the truth?
- Is it fair to everyone affected? Does anyone bear all the cost?
- Can the duty still be kept? Does it solve the problem, or only delay it?
Apply the same tests to each response. A table keeps your thinking visible.
Worked example
Scenario: Sofia’s mother asks her to stay home on Saturday to help prepare for a relative’s visit. Sofia has also promised to join a group revision session with friends at the same time.
| Test | Response A: go to revision | Response B: stay home, skip revision | Response C: negotiate |
|---|---|---|---|
| Honest | Only if she tells her mother | Only if she tells her friends | Yes |
| Fair | Mother loses help | Friends lose a member | Both share some cost |
| Duty kept | Promise kept, family duty not | Family duty kept, promise not | Both partly kept |
Answer: “Sofia should explain to her mother that she has a revision promise and offer to help in the morning before she leaves. Honesty means telling both sides the truth, and fairness means neither her mother nor her friends is left to carry the whole cost. Her mother gets help when the work is heaviest, and her friends get her company later.”
The mistake to avoid
A common slip is picking one side and writing as if the other duty does not exist. The answer then sounds one-sided.
| Weak | Stronger |
|---|---|
| “Family comes first.” | “Family is the stronger duty here because the visit cannot be moved, but she should tell her friends and offer to join later.” |
A good answer names the cost to the person who loses out and offers a way to reduce it.
Check yourself
Scenario: Imran’s father asks him to help at the family stall on Sunday. Imran also has a school football match that day. The coach needs him. Compare two responses and choose one.
Answer
Response A: Go to the match and skip the stall. Response B: Help at the stall and miss the match. Response C: Ask whether the stall can spare him for two hours or whether the coach can agree to a late arrival.
Answer: “Imran should talk to both his father and his coach. Honesty means telling each the truth about the clash, and fairness means not leaving either to cope alone. If the stall is busiest in the morning and the match starts in the afternoon, he can do both, so he can do both. If not, he should choose the duty that cannot be replaced and explain why.”
What to study next
Continue with explaining consequences for affected people. If closely related values still blur, read distinguishing closely related moral values.
For a teacher to test your reasoning, see online one-to-one Pendidikan Moral tuition.