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DilemmaFrom Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

For other uses, see Dilemma (disambiguation)."Between a rock and a hard place" redirects here. For other uses, see Between a Rock and a HardPlace (disambiguation).

A dilemma (Greek: δίλημμα "double proposition") is a problem offering two possibilities, neither of whichis unambiguously acceptable or preferable. One in this position has been traditionally described as "beingon the horns of a dilemma", neither horn being comfortable. This is sometimes more colorfully described as"Finding oneself impaled upon the horns of a dilemma", referring to the sharp points of a bull's horns,equally uncomfortable (and dangerous).

The dilemma is sometimes used as a rhetorical device, in the form "you must accept either A, or B"; here Aand B would be propositions each leading to some further conclusion. Applied incorrectly, it constitutes afalse dichotomy, a fallacy.

Contents

1 Types2 Related terms3 Use in logic

3.1 Constructive dilemmas3.2 Destructive dilemmas

4 See also5 References

Types

Colorful names have been given to many types of dilemmas.

Chicken or egg: which is first of two things, each of which presupposes the otherDouble bind: conflicting requirements ensure that the victim will automatically be wrong.Ethical dilemma: a choice between moral imperatives.Extortion: the choice between paying the extortionist and suffering an unpleasant action.Fairness dilemmas: when groups are faced with making decisions about how to share their resources,rewards, or payoffs.Hobson's choice: a choice between something and nothing; "take it or leave it".Morton's fork: choices yield equivalent, often undesirable, results.Prisoner's dilemma: an inability to coordinate makes cooperation difficult and defection tempting.Samaritan's dilemma: the choice between providing charity and improving another's condition, andwithholding it to prevent them from becoming dependent.Sophie's choice: a choice between two persons or things that will result in the death or destruction ofthe person or thing not chosen.Traveler's dilemma: you could make the best move possible to win the game according to its rules.But in doing so, you forfeit almost the entire value of a lost suitcase full of antiques of which you are

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the owner.Zugzwang: one must move and incur harm when one would prefer to make no move (esp. in chess).

Related terms

Several idioms describe dilemmas:

"Damned if you do, damned if you don't""Between Scylla and Charybdis""Lesser of two evils""Between a rock and a hard place", since both objects or metaphorical choices are rough."Between the devil and the deep blue sea""Out of the frying pan, into the fire"

A dilemma with more than two forks is sometimes called a trilemma (3), tetralemma (4), or more generallya polylemma.

The errant spelling dilemna is often seen in common usage. It appears to have been taught in many areas ofthe United States and all over the world, including (but not limited to) France, England, Jamaica andAustralia.[1][2][3] There is no prima facie reason for this substitution error and there is no erroneous parallelto be found with the word lemma, from which dilemma derives.

Use in logic

In formal logic, the definition of a dilemma differs markedly from everyday usage. Two options are stillpresent, but choosing between them is immaterial because they both imply the same conclusion.Symbolically expressed thus:

Which can be translated informally as "one (or both) of A or B is known to be true, but they both imply C,so regardless of the truth values of A and B we can conclude C." This is a rule of inference calledDisjunction elimination.

There are also constructive dilemmas and destructive dilemmas.

Constructive dilemmas

1. (If X, then Y) and (If W, then Z).2. X or W.3. Therefore, Y or Z.

Destructive dilemmas

1. (If X, then Y) and (If W, then Z).2. Not Y or not Z.3. Therefore, not X or not W.

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Look up dilemma inWiktionary, the freedictionary.

See also

Coordination gameDilemma analysisDilemma storyParadoxThere are known knowns

References1. "dilemma / dilemna" (http://www.wordwizard.com/phpbb3/viewtopic.php?f=7&t=20317). wordwizard.com.

Retrieved 22 January 2011.2. "dilemma or dilemna" (http://www.askmehelpdesk.com/advice/t­60211.html). askmehelpdesk.com. Retrieved

22 January 2011.3. "Dilemna vs. Dilemma" (http://brighthaven.wordpress.com/2009/11/17/dilemna­vs­dilemma/#comment­5186).brighthaven.wordpress.com. Retrieved 22 January 2011.

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Categories: Problem solving Rhetoric Concepts in logic Dilemmas Arguments

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