Medical Ethics

Question 1

Ethics

Answer 1

“Ethics is a generic term for various aways of understanding and examining moral life” – Beauchamp & Childress (1994)
The study of value judgements, morality, what is considered right and wrong in society.

Question 2

Normative Ethics

Answer 2

Looks at which norms of guidance are useful for solving moral problems -> what we should do.

Question 3

Descriptive Ethics

Answer 3

Example: Lawrence Kohlberg (psychologist) questioned a group of boys about what would be a right or wrong action for a man facing a moral dilemma – should he steal a drug to save his wife or refrain from theft even though that would lead to his wife’s death?

Question 4

Meta-ethics:

Answer 4

Analysis of concepts in ethics, meanings of terms i.e. justice, the good

Question 5

Medical and bioethics

Answer 5

Usually concerned with making normative claims

• Generally associated primarily with the discipline of philosophy
• ‘Bioethics is characterised as the “Investigation of ethical issues arising in the life sciences” … by applying the principles of moral philosophy to these issues’ (Bennett & Cribb (2003)
• An increasingly multi-disciplinary approach that incorporates law, sociology, psychology and other disciplines.

Question 6

Moral Judgements

Answer 6

Should be backed by good reason and impartial

Question 7

Autonomy

Answer 7

Self-determination
‘The capacity of think, decide and act on the basis of such thought and decision freely and independently’ - Gillion

Question 8

Non-Maleficience

Answer 8

Do no harm
Negative prohibition of action
Must be obeyed impartially (ALWAYS)

Question 9

Beneficence

Answer 9

Do good
Positive requirements of action
Do not always have to be obeyed

Question 10

Justice

Answer 10

Treating like cases alike. E.g. ensure just allocation of resources.
Distributive justice, not legal justice.
Fairness, just desserts.

Question 11

Utilitarianism

Answer 11

Achieving the greatest level of welfare for a given group/population
Form of consequentialism (what are the consequences of the available options)

Question 12

Deontology

Answer 12

Believe certain actions are wrong in their own right – irrespective of the outcome

• Action itself is important and duty based
• Morality justified by the categorical imperative
• Immanuel Kant is foremost deontologist.

Question 13

Virtue Ethics

Answer 13

Based on Aristotle’s ethics
Action is right in so far as it promotes the good life
Many virtues: courage, temperance, wisdom, justice

Question 14

Rights-based theories

Answer 14

Consider individuals to have moral rights
We have rights imposing duties on others -> but may release others from a duty they owe us.

Question 15

Public Health Ethics

Answer 15

Public health = societal approach to protecting and promoting health
Generally through social rather than individual actions