Ethics Flashcards
What is attitudes?
Constant feelings
Made up of different beliefs
Positive or negative
What is values?
Dynamic (constantly changing)
Discovered
Important - unimportant
What is the three perspectives of ethics?
Non-consequentialism
Consequentialism
Virtue ethics
What is non-consequentialism?
The motion of unconditional respect for persons and may involve doing what is right regardless of consequences.
An action is right if it is in accordance with a moral rule or principle.
What is consequentialism?
The notion of good as a consequence of an action.
The end justifies the means.
An action is right if it promotes the best consequence.
What else is part of consequentialism?
Utilitarianism
What is utilitarianism?
The greatest good for the greatest number
Action aimed at future outcome
Not dependent on duty
What is virtue?
A trait that disposes its possessor habitually to excellence of intent and performance.
What is virtue ethics?
Is a fundamental moral concept that characterises a person’s readiness and ability to consciously and firmly follow good; a set of internal, mental and intellectual qualities that embody the human ideal in it moral perfection.
An action is right if, and only if, it is what a virtuous agent would do in the circumstances.
What are the core ethical concepts?
Autonomy
Beneficence - best interests
Non-maleficience
Justice - rights
What is autonomy?
Freedom from unwanted interference even if inference is for the good of the person.
Can make own decisions if they have capacity.
What is beneficence?
Above all, do good
Work for the best interests of the patient
Contributes to welfare and wellbeing of others
Care
Compression
Empathy
Kindness
What is included in the composite theory in terms of best interests of the patient?
Mental theory
Desire fulfilment
Objective list
What is Mental theory in terms of best interests of the patient?
Happiness/pleasure - unhappiness/pain
What is desire fulfilment in terms best interests of the patient?
Desires relating to life plan fulfilled
What is objective list in terms best interests of the patient?
Some things good for well being, some things bad for well being - whether or not they are desired or cause happiness.
What is non-maleficence?
Above all do no harm
Condemns any act which unjustly injures a person or causes them to suffer an otherwise avoidable harm
What is justice?
Fairness
Benefits and burdens
Consider in context of limited resources - rationing
What should a decision be?
Rational
Coherent (logical and reasoned)
Consistent
What is bioethics?
It is hospital based issues
What is bioethics also known as?
Medical ethics or clinical ethics
What are some common bioethical issues? (6)
Disagreements between family and clinicians regarding the patient/resident’s best interest
Living at risk (eating, wandering, falling)
Deciding appropriate forms of care
Determining legitimate level of restraint
Determining patient preferences without clear instructions
Providing services that take up tremendous resource (eg. Multiple transplants)
What is the Nureberg Code (1947)?
It is the 10 standards to which physicians must conform when carrying out experiments or acts of care to human subjects.
What is the 10 standards of the Nuremburg Code (1947)?
Voluntary consent
Avoid suffering
Benefits outweighs costs
No intentional death or disability
Protection from harm
Subject free to withdraw
Qualified investigators/practitioners
Investigator/practitioner will stop if harm occurs
What is normative ethics?
Formulation and defence of basic principles, values, virtues, and ideal governing moral behaviour
What is descriptive ethics?
Factual descriptions of moral behaviour and belief systems
What is an analytic approach? (3)
Discerning meanings of life, concepts of rights/justice/fairness, etc
Balancing ethical principles
Shift from the greatest good to individual rights
When did bioethics become recognised?
In the 1960s in the US
What is deontological ethics?
Morality of an action should be based on whether that action itself is right or wrong under a series of rules, rather than based in the consequences of the action.
What is principlism?
It is an applied ethics approach to the examination of moral dilemmas that is based upon the application of certain ethical principles.
What is the problem with deontology?
Always following rules of conduct can lead to negative consequences.
Eg. Not fabricating a research result might mean admitting that your study found nothing that is interesting.
What is the problem with consequentialism?
We don’t really know the consequences of our actions until we have carried them out.
What is the problem with virtue theory?
It may fail to guide our actions, as there are no clear, golden rules that can be applied.
What are the four principles of principlism?
Autonomy
Beneficence
Non-maleficence
Justice
What is anthropocentrism in environmental ethics?
The belief that human beings are the most important entity in the universe. It interprets or regards the world in terms of human values and experiences.
What is pathocentrism in environmental ethics?
It regards the difference or similarities in the reaction to pain in humans and animals
What is biocentrism in environmental ethics?
The view or belief that the rights and needs of humans are not more important that those of other living things
What is ecocentrism in environmental ethics?
It is to denote a nature-centres, as appears to human-centres, system of values.
What is bioterrorism?
It is the use of infectious agents or other harmful biological or biochemical substances as weapons of terrorism
What is the current focus in bioethics? (6)
Genetics
Brain imaging technologies
Multiculturalism
End-of-life care
Aging
Health-care resource allocation
