introduction to ethics and autonomy

Question 1

summarise ethics

Answer 1

allows you to articulate a justification
based on normative values - look at things you value and think why and how to prioritise to make decisions
there is logical consistency - it is not based on opinions

Question 2

reasons why you would or wouldn’t tell your friend someone is cheating on them *

Answer 2

you would want to know
CONSEQUENCES - try to predict the consequences for all the relationships involved
have a DUTY to be honest
think what a good partner/friend would do - VIRTUE
need to think about the context

Question 3

what is ethics*

Answer 3

about deciding what we should do
not opinions
we need to find reasons to support why we should or shouldn’t do something

Question 4

how do we do science well

Answer 4

need scientific evidence and experimental method

Question 5

how do we do ethics well

Answer 5

requires good reasoning and a good process for reasoning

Question 6

what is the process of good ethical reasoning *

Answer 6

identify all relevant considerations - by listening, discussion dn reading
analyse the relevant considerations- reflection and logical consistency
test your reasons - reflection and discussion
present your reasons - to self and others

Question 7

what makes up the ethical tree *

Answer 7

consequences
duty
virtue - personal characteristics, what kind of person do you want to be eg honest

Question 8

what is the fundamental idea of consequentialism *

Answer 8

an action is ethically right if it brings about the best foreseeable consequences eg friendship, health, pleasure, trust
attractive because it is common sense

Question 9

what is utilitarianism *

Answer 9

a form of consequentialism which states that the right action is that which brings about the maximum overall happiness/pleasure
all other things equal - this is the approach that saves most lives or reduces suffering in most people
think about the whole population

Question 10

what is a democratic approach to utilitarianism *

Answer 10

equal weight given to each individual when calculating overall happiness

Question 11

what are the problems of thinking just of consequences *

Answer 11

certain actions are always wrong regardless of positive consequences
very difficult to be certain of consequences
could justify awful actions for ‘the greater good’
when making decisions based only on consequences it doesn’t matter whether the decision is unjust or if the person making the decision is good or bad - this can build a society that doesn’t nurture values. Eg if gynaechologist gets sexual pleasure by performing examinations but does them well - consequentialism deems this as good but people would be concerned by his motivation
difficult to determine what ‘good’ is

Question 12

reasons why lying is worse than withholding the truth *

Answer 12

withholding info restricts AUTONOMY less - pts still have the opportunity to ask
patients may actively ‘collude’ in withholding of info = they might not want to know
less likely to cause mistrust - CONSEQUENCES
absolute moral DUTY not to lie

Question 13

reasons why lying is not worse then withholding info *

Answer 13

wrong to assume pts don’t want to know
will cause mistrust
if intention is same then morally equivalent
moral DUTY not to withhold info that you know would be important to pt
both cases deceive - so maybe better to lie so that pts are happy

Question 14

if it is a situation where it is clear the pt wants to know and you are expected to tell is lying different to withholding

Answer 14

arguably no

Question 15

if it is a situation where you are not expected to tell is lying different to withholding

Answer 15

arguably lying is worse

Question 16

what are deontological theories *

Answer 16

duty based theories

certain actions are right or wrong in themselves regardless of consequences

Question 17

examples of duties *

Answer 17

duty not to kill
not to torture
to tell truth
not to actively decieve

Question 18

advantage of f

deontological theories *

Answer 18

simple - doesn’t require prediction or calculation of theories

Question 19

issues with deontological theories *

Answer 19

how do we decide which actions are right or wrong
what do we do if moral duties conflict
absolves the individual from any moral responsibility for consequences of his/her actions, even if they are bad - people wouldn’t worry about consequences because they did their duty
if 2 people are disputing iver a treatment based on duties there is no logical resolution as each person’s duties must be followed

Question 20

why would/wouldn’t you tell if an exam paper had been leaked *

Answer 20

wouldn’t - just to stay uninvolved
wouldn’t name person - might be others involved, not your place to seek retribution
would name - worried person using paper wouldn’t be a competent dr

Question 21

why wouldn’t you lie to pts *

Answer 21

you might get found out - pt lose trust in you - affect everything after that - CONSEQUENCES
might get struck off
DUTY to tell truth
want to be honest - VIRTUE

Question 22

what is a virtue *

Answer 22

a character trait a human being needs to flourish or live well

Question 23

what are the key features of virtue ethics *

Answer 23

the bets life of a human consists in the exercise of virtues - honesty, intergrity, wisdom, courage, fairness and compassion
virtues are nurtured and developed - not born with them
the right course of action is the course a virtuous individual would take
should build a community that recognises these traits

Question 24

how would virtue relate to lying *

Answer 24

the reason you shouldn’t lie is because an honest person would not lie and you want to be honest

Question 25

problem with using virtue to make ethical decisions *

Answer 25

they don’t explicitly tell you what to do
nobody has all of the virtues
conflict eg between humility and courage
some virtues are more core than others
needs to be a balance - any to extreme is dangerous eg too much courage means you may ignore risks

Question 26

what is an example where following duty would be difficult *

Answer 26

if someone knocks at your door and asks you to protect them from someone dangerous and then the dangerous person turns up and asks where they are you have a duty to tell them, but this ignores the consequences

Question 27

what are the virtues of a good dr

Answer 27

honesty
integrity 
diligence
compassion
wisdom 
humility
patience 
courage
non-judgemental
ambitious 
self-less
altruistic
competent

Question 28

what are the skills that can be taught that allow you to practice and mature values *

Answer 28

ethical reasoning
communication skills
professional and legal frameworks

Question 29

what is import in using virtues *

Answer 29

what is inside the individual - moral imagination and moral identity
these motivate you to do the right thing

Question 30

what is moral identity *

Answer 30

a sense of the kind of person you want to be
an individuals own moral compass
nurture through reflection on moral dilemmas and lived experiences
work on what’s right and wrong

Question 31

what is moral imagination *

Answer 31

recognition and sympathy for the suffering of others

respect and relate to others

Question 32

what is moral imagination composed of *

Answer 32

emotional response- knee jerk response which might be prejudiced
reasoned reflection - reflect on why you felt that way - is it because you;ve never seen anything like that or is it because something is wrong and needs changing

Question 33

why does empathy decrease through medical school and how can it be addressed

Answer 33

clinical practice is hard and tiring
self protective response is to harden self
this is a short term survival strategy that means you cant relate to pts or motivate yourself to do better
can feel yourself becoming something you didn’t want to be
shutting yourself down makes you susceptible to burn out
need to exercise moral imagination and identity

Question 34

what is the difference between values and facts *

Answer 34

ethics is about values - what is right and wrong, good and bad, it is a study about how the world should be
science is about facts - how the world is, was, could and will be

Question 35

if asked if you like someone’s dress and you don’t, how should you answer ethically *

Answer 35

consequentialism - think that they would be upset if you tell the truth, but lose trust if you lie - might conclude to lie
deontological - have a duty to tell the truth

Question 36

example of when utilitarianism is used *

Answer 36

in court to determine whether you should stop treatment for a terminally ill baby
rule that you should because the painful existence is worse than death - no pleasure in life

Question 37

what is rule utrilitarianism

Answer 37

it is used to prevent bad things happening ‘for the greater good’
it suggests we follow a set of rules to get the best outcome
eg patient confidentiality is one of these rules
however there are questions as to if there are exceptions to rules

Question 38

possible consequences of lying to pt for theur best interest eg getting them to have a social service assessment when they don’t want one *

Answer 38

they would get the assessment and perhaps have fewer falls so be better medically
pt might lose trust in healthcare
pt might feel betrayed by the people that are close to her - harming self-esteem and confidence

Question 39

what are the duties to consider when asked to lie to a pt for theur best interest - eg getting them social service *

Answer 39

duty not to lie

duty to respect autonomy

Question 40

what are the virtues to consider when asked to lie to a pt for theur best interest - eg getting them social service *

Answer 40

need to be compassionate, diligent, honest

Question 41

advantage of virtues to make decisions *

Answer 41

if mistakes made they were made with right intentions so can be forgiven easier
encourage you to think broadly about an ethical decision

Question 42

problem with virtue *

Answer 42

impossible to know whether another person possesses a particular value or is just acting in a way so that it looks like they possess that value

Question 43

mixing consequentialism and deontology

Answer 43

deontologists accept consequentialism is an appropriate response when there is no absolute principle to apply
arguably you have to use consequential reasoning to determine what duties are
consequentialists do look at duty too, eg by killing a person even though it might have good short term consequences, it would go against the sanctity of life and be to the society’s detriment