Intro to Medical Ethics

Question 1

Biomedical Ethics

Determines what procedures should or should not be carried out in medical practice.

Continues to develop with religion, law, anthropoplogy and sociology

Question 2

Ethical Theories

Result of new technology, legal precedent, and medical progress. Continues to evolve.

topics like organ transplants, life support, genetics

Question 3

History of Western Ethics

Socrates asks “How should one live?”
Answers in two parts: Morality & Ethics.
* Ethics is how we ought to live
* Morality is our behaviour
Inspired the Hippocratic School of Medicine to write The Hippocratic Oath

Question 4

The Hippocratic Oath

• Doctor-patient confindentiality
• A physician may not give abortive remedy or any drug that would terminante life
  There is a loophole to this, doctors must act with compassion therfore must aid a patient who is suffering
• A physician should always try to improve the quality of life of a patient

Question 5

Ancient Greeks and Virtue

Ancient greeks taught virtue ethics which concentrates on positive personality and character traits. Their main goal was to “heal the sick” even if patients were terminally ill.

Question 6

Christian Ethics

Virtues included compassion, wisdom and courage. A good physician must care for his patients and protect the sick, weak, or vulnerable. He is a healer above all else.

Question 7

Natural Law Theory

How humans should behave and act in their daily lives. It was believed that the rules for humans was embedded in the fabric of the world

Question 8

Double Effect and Totality

Totality
* Focused on the physical changes in a human body.
* It was beleived that the body was rented for God and that any modificaiton should be forbidden (vasectomy, hysterectomy)

Double Effect
* When an action has both good and bad effects
* There is a set of guidelines governing whether an action is morally permitted if it has two effects.