Ethics is a field of philosophy that deals with right and wrong.
There are many different systems of philosophy, and, therefore, many different systems of ethical beliefs. While many decisions are black and white, all too often the choices we have to make are not that obvious. Many factors may weigh on the balance of those decisions in a way that leaves us frustrated and helpless. Or, there may be those around us, each of whom can explain why one course of action or another is the only right way. It is the conflict of different values and systems that produces an ethical dilemma.