Bioethics (Unit 3)

Question 1

Bioethics definition?

Answer 1

Reflective study of ethical issues which have emerged from the fields of medicine and biology, advancements in medicine/biology creates ethical issue on our application of knowledge and technology

Question 2

What is Catholic bioethics?

Answer 2

Catholic Church takes a great interest in issues related to bioethics as they can have a massive impact on both the physical and moral well being of both individuals and whole societies
- Several principles that inform the catholic understanding of bioethics

Question 3

What are the three principles in Catholic bioethics?

Answer 3

The principle of totality, the law of double effect, and the primacy of life

Question 4

What is the law of double effect?

Answer 4

Says that under certain circumstances an action that has both positive and negative outcomes may be considered morally acceptable (ex. chemo making you sick but killing cancer)
- There are 3 criteria must be met if an action is acceptable

Question 5

What are the three criteria of the law of double effect?

Answer 5

1. Action itself must not be intrinsically evil
2. The evil effect (outcome) must not be an end in itself or a means to accomplishing the good effect. I.e The effect must be a foreseen but undesired side-effect of the action. (Do you really want to DO this action?)
3. The evil effect must not outweigh the good effect

Question 6

What is the primacy of life?

Answer 6

The promotion and preservation of Human Life is considered to be among the most important values in all of Catholic ethics.
- Every human life is valuable from the moment of conception to the moment of natural death
- Expected to use all reasonable and ordinary means to preserve life (ie. medicines, treatments…)
- You are not morally accountable to do extraordinary things.

Question 7

What is the principle of totality?

Answer 7

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 or destruction to any one part of the body.
- Extreme cases: small harm can be done to serve the greater good of the whole and ultimately, to protect and preserve life,