Lecture 1 Flashcards
What is Philosophy?
It’s an enterprise that essentially involves a systematic process of deep, critical thinking
Investigation of reason and a search for reasons
The love of wisdom
What are the 3 major branches of philosop?
Metaphysics – investigates the structure & nature of reality
Logic – studies the realm of valid reasoning
Epistemology – addresses theories of knowledge, e.g. ‘truth’, ‘beliefs’ and the nature of evidence
What is Metaphysics?
investigates the structure & nature of reality
What is Logic?
studies the realm of valid reasoning
What is Epistemology?
addresses theories of knowledge, e.g. ‘truth’, ‘beliefs’ and the nature of evidence
What is Moral Philosophy?
Sub. Ranch of philosophy
AKA ETHICS
the ‘moral’ refers to ‘morality’
What a a synonyms for Ethics?
Moral Philosophy
What is Morality?
Moral rules, obligations, principles, values, virtues and prohibition that address the questions:
●What does it mean to live morally?
●How should we live well?
Through philosophical thinking, we examine?
Our actions
Our omissions
Our moral character
What are the two central questions of Western ethics?
What should one do?
How should one be ?
What does Science tell us?
Aim to tell us how the world I, what we do and how things work
The theory of knowledge that ground the science is called?
Empiricism
What is Empiricism?
Empiricism claims that knowledge is created by use of the special senses & its created through experience
In empirical thinking, scientists search for?
‘ Facts’ and the ‘Objective truth’
What are the methods scientists use in Empirical thinking?
Observations
Measurements
Experiments to formulate and test theories and hypotheses
What is Rationalism?
Theory of know that grounds philosophy
What theory of knowledge grounds philosophy?
Rationalism
What is Rationalism?
Rationalism claims that knowledge can be a priori (prior to sense experience); knowledge can be created through rational thought, or through reason
Philosophers seek to propose?
Rational defensible arguments & to examine the merits and criticisms of a wide range of arguments
What are examples of philosophical methods?
●Rational argument & counter argument ●Slippery slope arguments ●Argument by analogy ●Examples ●Intuition
What are the 3 stages of Rational Argument?
●Propose premise(s)
●Support with reason(s)
●Draw conclusion(s)
Define Ethics
Various ways of understanding and examining the moral life
What areas influence our ethics?
Personal ethics
Group ethics
What is Personal ethics?
These beliefs concern the way we should act, the way we should conduct ourselves and the way we should be towards others
What is Group ethics?
This concerns the ethics of a group of people
examples: professional groups as doctors and nurses
What influence Group ethics?
- Statements, rules and regulations
* Compliance with these rules
Ethics is the same as law
True or false?
False
It is now
Ethics is just a ‘code of conduct’
True or false
False
What is the Professional ethics for doctors?
Good medical practice- GMC
‘Good doctors make the care of their patients their first concern; they are competent, keep their knowledge and skills up to date, establish and maintain good relationships with patients and colleagues, are honest and trustworthy, and act with integrity.’
Usefulness of medical ethics?
The study of ethics prepares medical students to recognise difficult situations and to deal with them in a rational and principled way.
What are the two important endeavours in medicine?
- Doctors work to promote patients’ health and their well-being
- Doctors aim to prevent patients from being harmed
The above two endeavours are moral in nature
Why should doctors understand ethics?
- if you understand morality (including your own); and
- if you understand ethics and can apply it well in (often) difficult situations;
- then the care that you give should be morally good; and ultimately
- the patient’s journey through illness – via the helping, trusting relationship – will be facilitated and it should be less distressing than it might otherwise have been
