Ethical Theory in Bioethics

Vocabulary flashcards covering normative theories, biomedical principles, methods of moral reasoning, and key concepts from Lecture 2: Ethical Theory.

Consequentialism

An ethical framework based on a theory of value and impartial maximization, holding that an agent ought to do whatever will promote the most good for everyone.

Act Consequentialism

A form of consequentialism directing that whenever an individual decides what to do, they must act to promote the greatest good in the long run.

Rule Consequentialism

A form of consequentialism that applies consequentialist reasoning to select which moral rules society ought to follow, rather than directly guiding individual choices.

Utilitarianism

The best-known form of consequentialism, formulated by John Stuart Mill, which holds that actions are right in proportion as they tend to promote happiness (pleasure and absence of pain) and wrong as they produce pain or the privation of pleasure.

Non-Consequentialism

An ethical perspective holding that individuals lack a duty to maximize overall good at all times and that the ends do not always justify the means.

Deontology

The study of duties and duty-based moral theories, which evaluate moral rightness based on adherence to unconditional obligations rather than consequences.

Principle of Humanity

Kant's formulation of the categorical imperative requiring individuals to act so as to treat humanity—rational nature—in oneself and others never simply as a means, but always as an end.

Principlism

A prominent bioethical framework formulated by Tom L. Beauchamp and James F. Childress that resolves moral dilemmas using four core clusters of principles.

Non-Maleficence

One of the four core principles of principlism, requiring moral agents to avoid doing harm to others.

Beneficence

One of the four core principles of principlism, directing agents to benefit others and actively promote their welfare.

Respect for Autonomy

One of the four core principles of principlism, obligating agents to honor and respect individuals' capacity to make their own choices.

Justice (Principlism)

One of the four core principles of principlism, requiring that individuals be treated fairly and equitably.

Paternalism

The bioethical conflict wherein a healthcare provider overrides a patient's autonomous decision in order to promote that patient's welfare.

Medical Futility

Cases in biomedical ethics where a patient requests a treatment or intervention that clinicians judge will offer no medical benefit to the patient.

Virtue Ethics

An ethical approach rooted in Aristotle that emphasizes developing moral and professional virtues, moral sensitivity, and practical wisdom over merely following abstract principles.

Metaethics

The branch of philosophy concerned with the nature, meaning, and objectivity of morality and moral claims.

Conscientious Objection

The issue of how far healthcare professionals may refuse to perform certain duties or procedures by adhering to their private morality while practicing in a professional role.

Reflective Equilibrium

The method of testing abstract moral principles against considered judgments regarding particular cases, adjusting both until they form a coherent, mutually consistent web of moral beliefs.