Ethical Concepts Flashcards
what is morality?
principles, guidelines and standards of right/wrong or good/bad conduct
personal morality
societal morality
morality of health professions- PT as a moral agent
there may be conflicts between/among
what shapes our ideas about morality?
religious teaching culture philosophy parents family friends school media
what are the 3 types of ethical problems?
1- ethical distress
2- ethical dilemmas
3- locus of authority challenges
what is an ethical dilemma?
values in conflict
“right vs. right”
honorable, moral, just individuals can come to different “solutions” for the same problem
serious losses are at risk or gains are at stake no matter what is done
what are ethical theories?
ethical theory guides us in choosing a course of action that is (hopefully) right or more right than others
what are 2 ethical theories?
1- Teleological - Utilitarianism
2- Deontological- Duty
what is absolutism?
what is right is based on knowledge that can be known to be a truth
ex: religious truths believed to be absolute
what is relativism?
all is relative
ethical statements are not known to be ultimately true or false, but “truth” is dependent on circumstances
what is teleological theory?
Tele= end or outcome
focus on the consequences of the actions
goal-based, consequentialist
only when the potential consequences of an action are taken into consideration can one determine the right course of action
moral task in life= produce as much good as you can
what are the 3 components of the teleological theory?
1-utilitarianism
2- hedonism
3- pluralism
what is utilitarianism?
an act is useful if it brings about the best consequences overall
good=happiness
bad= unhappiness
what is hedonism?
pleasure= good pain= bad
palliative care- relief from pain and suffering is a desirable goal
what is pluralism?
the ultimate good may be a variety of other values
ex: knowledge, beauty, freedom, etc
what are criticisms to the theological theory?
must be able to predict consequences (good intentions are not enough!)
defining happiness is problematic
happiness is different for each person
difficult to measure or compare happiness to decide on the greatest net happiness
what is the deontological theory?
Deonto= duty
based on obligation to duties or principles
most famous theorist= Immanual Kant
“can’t judge the rightness or wrongness of an act on the basis of its consequences alone. Some actions are intrinsically immoral no matter how positive and beneficial one might judge the consequences to be”
what are criticisms to the deontological approach?
moral rules may conflict with one another
absolute duties (Kant)
Prima facie (other things being equal) -moral duty may be overridden by another moral duty
ethical conflict= determine which duty is weightier
what is a duty?
AKA ethical principles/elements
moral bonds or obligations
what are the 4 generally accepted duties in health care?
1- autonomy
2- non maleficence
3- beneficence
4- justice
what is autonomy?
self-determination
respect for patient’s decision making
what is non maleficence?
do no harm
what is beneficence?
promote good
sometimes considered on a continuum with non-maleficence
what is justice?
fairness in the distribution of benefits and burdens