Theory Of Ethics

Question 1

HPCSA core ethical values

Answer 1

1. Non-maleficence
2. Beneficence
3. Respect for persons
4. Truthfulness
5. Autonomy
6. Integrity
7. Confidentiality
8. Compassion
9. Tolerance
10. Justice
11. Professional competence and self-improvement
12. Community

Question 2

Ethics

Answer 2

• sound standards of right and wrong that prescribe what we ought to do, this usually relates to rights, obligations, fairness or specific virtues
• Refers to study and development of our ethical standards
• Continuous effort of reviewing our own moral beliefs and our moral beliefs and our moral conduct and striving to ensure that we live up to standards that are reasonable

Question 3

Utilitarianism

Answer 3

• Ethical theory that determines right from wrong by focusing on outcomes, form of consequentialism
• Underlying principle: Greatest good for greater number
• Everybody treated equally and impartially
• 3 main premises:
  1. Right or wrong is consequences
  2. When evaluating consequences, the only thing that matters is the amount of happiness or unhappiness
  3. Everyone’s happiness or unhappiness counts equally

Question 4

Utilitarianism pros

Answer 4

1. Takes position of moral high ground
2. Unifying and simple
3. Encapsulates main moral principles of equity and impartiality
4. Most people believe it’s correct in most cases

Question 5

Utilitarianism cons

Answer 5

1. Conflicts with some individual situation specific moral experiences
2. Difficult to measure happiness
3. Demanding
4. Doesn’t protect individuals

Question 6

Duty ethics (Deontology)

Answer 6

• Concerned with what people do, not consequences of their actions, you can’t justify an action by showing that it produced good consequences
• People have a duty to do the right thing even if it produces a bad result
• States that some things are inherently immoral, irrespective or the consequences

Question 7

Duty ethics pros

Answer 7

1. Intuitive knowing that some things are morally wrong
2. Universal
3. Treats similar same
4. Respects people

Question 8

Duty ethics cons

Answer 8

1. Reduces morality to rules
2. Is legalistic and mechanistic
3. Conflict of rules and acts

Question 9

Virtue ethics

Answer 9

• Referred to as “character ethics” because human action can be seen as morally correct, not because it’s a duty or because of consequences but because of the character traits of the person.
• Assumption is if we have virtues we’ll do the right thing
• Ask important questions like “why and with which motivations would a person lie?”
• Approach to ethics that emphasizes a person’s character as the key element of ethical thinking, rather than rules about acts themselves or their consequences
• Mainly deals with ethics and morality of a person

Question 10

Virtue ethics pros

Answer 10

1. Considers whole person
2. Cultivates agency
3. Respects real people and their commitments to communities
4. Permits appropriate partiality

Question 11

Virtue ethics cons

Answer 11

1. It’s complex
2. Difficult to define virtues
3. Conflicts of virtues are difficult to negotiate
4. Hard to apply Universally