4 Sep /14

Dilemma

With his multi-language herbal dictionary and a book about the medical effects of herbs, William Turner is considered the father of English botany.

But he also was a preacher and wrote about the regulations of Oxford University. He sets out a problem that the mayor of Oxford has to make an oath to the Chancellor and to the King. The result is perplexity and the possibility of immediate excommunication! This is defined as a dilemma and is the first use of the word dilemma in English appearing in 1523. Turner with his knowledge of the classics clearly was aware that the word dilemma originated from Greek being double proposition – appropriate for the laws of rhetoric where it was first applied.

The next example of the dilemma or “horned argument” came in 1551 and relates to the taxes. They must be made to God or Caesar. The results are treason or sacrilege. The dilemma offers two unpleasant and potentially fatal options. Two equally unattractive options are given – each one of them represents one horn of the dilemma. It did not take very long for dilemma to be used simple as a bad situation to be in, of every solution being an unfavourable one.

As Bob Woodward the journalist put it “The central dilemma in journalism is that you don’t know what you don’t know”. This is epitomised in the prisoners’ dilemma. Two prisoners are thrown into jail and have no possibility of communicating with each other. The police do not have evidence to convict them of a major crime, so will probably charge them for lower-level offenses. The prisoners are each given the chance to betray each other or keep silent. Both say nothing – the lessor charge sticks. Both betray  each other, both get long sentences. One betrays the other and the other keeps silent – one walks free and the other gets a very long sentence.