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Doing Ethics... | ||||
| Environment | Globalization | Health | Rule of Law | Sex | |
Health EthicsIntentions & ResultsIn ethical reasoning we value acting with a good intention and achieving the best outcome. When these arguments clash, we become creative.
For instance, we
generally believe doctors should tell a patient the truth.
But a doctor may lie to encourage a patient, because
the doctor believes having hope may contribute to the patient’s recovery.
If our intention is good and no one seems to be harmed, we often think a lie is right as well as best.
Empathy & Reason
Neuroscience has confirmed that we have evolved the capacity for
empathy and have mirror neurons that enable us to feel the
emotions we see in others.
We
also have evolved the mental ability to use reason to weigh the
possible consequences of taking an action, which enables us to
make the choice that seems to offer the best possible outcome.
__________________________________________ Acting, Being & Predicting
Having good intentions involves being concerned with taking the
right action or being a good person, or both.
Being responsible for the practical outcome of our actions
involves weighing the likely consequences of the possible
choices we have, and then acting in the way that we predict will
have the best possible outcome.
__________________________________________ Ethical TraditionsPhilosophers and theologians have developed these arguments into ethical traditions. Deontological ethics concerns doing what is right, whereas teleological ethics is about our intention to be good persons in a good society. Consequential ethics considers what practical choice will lead to the best possible results.
__________________________________________ Ethical ReasoningThe four words above the horizontal line represent intrinsic ethical values. We should do our duty and respect the rights of others, because we affirm these actions are intrinsically right. We ought to cultivate moral virtues that reflect character, and also be caring in our relationships, because we believe these intentions are intrinsically good. The word “consequences” represents the ethical argument that we should act to realize the best possible future.
Deontology vs Consequences
Disagreement
about moral issues may reflect a clash between
deontological and consequential reasoning.
A patient’s
right to give informed consent means a doctor has a duty
to be honest in advising a patient.
Yet there is
evidence that patients do better when encouraged and may
even respond positively to a placebo.
Principles vs PredictionsEthical arguments for taking the right action are rooted in our religious and cultural traditions. Neuroscience confirms that we have evolved to make moral decisions based on empathy as well as our ability to predict the likely outcome of our actions. Consequential arguments for doing what we think will yield the best possible outcome reflect the ethical and practical traditions of political philosophy and economics.
__________________________________________ Teleology vs Consequences
In
addressing ethical issues arguments for compassion and
forgiveness may seem to clash with our responsibility to achieve
the best possible outcome.
For instance, a
parent or a physician may demand life-sustaining care
for an infant with a poor long-term prognosis.
Or, it may seem
that allowing the impaired infant to die would likely be
better for the child and/or the family.
.
__________________________________________ Proactive vs Predicting
Traditional ethics ascribes intrinsic value only to human
beings. This makes the use of
natural resources
merely a practical matter of what has the best consequences for
us.
Yet, human health depends on the health of the earth’s biosphere, so
proactive health
care should
include caring for the earth’s ecosystems.
What might embracing an ecological way of life mean for health care?
Ethical Presumption
We
consider arguments for intrinsic values in order to construct an
ethical presumption as to what we should do.
We
test our reasoning by predicting the likely consequences of
acting on this ethical presumption.
If
our predictions confirm the ethical presumption, then our moral
choice is clear. But if the likely consequences seem more
adverse than beneficial, then we should reassess our options.
Philosophical Arguments
Arguments
in health ethics concern duty and rights, character
and relationships, and consequences.
Kant's focus
is duty. Rawls is more concerned with
rights.
Catholic
teaching relies on the natural law tradition that
affirms we should fulfill our human
purpose by being good persons and doing what is
right.
Arguments
based on consequences rely on utilitarian reasoning.
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ANA* Ethics Code - Deontological Arguments
The
nurse’s primary commitment is to the
patient, whether an individual, family,
group or community.
The
nurse is responsible and accountable for
individual nursing practice. The nurse’s
obligation is to provide optimum patient
care.
The
nurse promotes, advocates for and strives to
protect the rights of patients.
The
nurse owes the same duties to self as to
others.
*American Nurses Association
__________________________________________
ANA Ethics Code - Teleological Arguments
The nurse practices with
compassion and respect for the
inherent dignity, worth and
uniqueness of every person,
unrestricted by considerations
of social or economic status,
personal attributes, or the
nature of health problems.
The profession of nursing is
responsible for articulating
nursing values and for
maintaining the integrity of the
nursing profession and its
practices.
__________________________________________
ANA Ethics Code - Consequential Arguments
The nurse
participates in
establishing,
maintaining and
improving health
care
environments and
conditions of
employment
conducive to the
provision of
quality health
care.
The nurse
participates in
the advancement
of the
profession.
The nurse
collaborates
with other
health
professionals
and the public
in promoting
efforts to meet
health care
needs.
__________________________________________
ANA Code: Summary
The duty
to
provide
optimal
care
reflects
the
goal
in the
ancient
Hippocratic
Oath to
do no
harm and
to act
with a
good
intention.
Hospitals
have
been
named
for the
Good
Samaritan
to
emphasize
the
importance
of care
and
compassion
in
providing
medical
services.
Good
intentions
and
compassionate
professionals
are
necessary
but not
sufficient.
The
outcome
must be
quality
health
care.
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doing ethics
telling the truth lying?
intentions
right action being good
consequences
five keywords
intrinsic values
right action vs predicting
placebo
empathy and
compassion
being good vs predicting
value of nature?
ecosystems
moral
economic
process of
a moral
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| Copyright © 2007 by Robert Traer |