3. BioEthics Flashcards
1
Q
What is Bioethics?
A
- study of ethical issues from medicine and biology
1
Q
What is Catholic Bioethics?
A
- The Catholic view of Bioethics
- There 3 principles:
- Law of Double Effect
- Primracy of Life
- Principle of Totality
2
Q
What is The Law of Double Effect?
A
- An action that has positive and negative outcomes may be considered morally acceptable
- There are 3 criteria that determine if an action is acceptable.
- Example: Chemotherapy can cause extreme pain but also kill the cancer. It’s better that the cancer is killed and you’re sick.
3
Q
What are the 3 Criteria for Law of Double Effect?
A
- Action itself must not be intrinsically evil
- The evil effect must be a foreseen but undesired side-effect of the action.
- The evil effect must not outweigh the good effect
4
Q
What is The Primacy Of Life?
A
- The promotion and preservation of Human Life.
- Every human life is valuable
- we are expected to use all reasonable means to preserve life.
5
Q
What is the The Principle of Totality ?
A
- A part exists for the good of the whole (i.e. a limb may be amputated in order to save a person’s life)
- Inconvenience is not sufficient reason to cause harm to ones body.
- In extreme cases however, small harm can be done to serve the greater good of the whole and ultimately, to protect and preserve life.