Lesson 3: HISTORICAL DEVELOPMENT OF PROFESSIONAL ETHICS

What is meant by ethics in ancient civilizations?

Early populations sought what was right and wrong by establishing values and norms that had to be obeyed, otherwise punishment would follow.

Why are there few written examples of moral norms from ancient civilizations?

Very few examples were documented in writing, although the existing ones are noteworthy because of their protagonists.

What was the Book of the Dead?

A set of funerary texts that guided the soul of the deceased through the underworld and included moral guidelines to merit a better passage.

What was the Code of Hammurabi?

A set of ethical norms written by Hammurabi, king of Babylon, based on the Law of Retaliation and including standards for medical practice, procedures, fees, and consequences.

How did ethics develop in Ancient Greece?

With the rise of democracy, ethical questions flourished and philosophers focused on humanity and society rather than the origin of the cosmos.

Which philosophers were central to ethical thought in Ancient Greece?

Socrates, Plato, and Aristotle.

What role did medicine play in Greek ethical thought?

Philosophers were interested in both philosophy and the knowledge and practice of medicine, with Hippocrates as the main paradigm.

What was Hippocrates’ contribution to medicine?

He rejected magical explanations of disease and justified medicine through reason and empiricism.

How is Greek medicine divided by historians?

Into pre-Hippocratic and post-Hippocratic periods.

What is the Hippocratic Oath?

The moral code of professional medical practice reflecting Hippocratic teaching.

What principles are expressed in the Hippocratic Oath?

-Gratitude toward teachers

-placing the patient’s benefit above all else

-maintaining moral character

-absolute respect for medical confidentiality

How did Hippocrates view professional conduct?

He emphasized highly ethical behavior and careful observation of symptoms, explaining disease through natural causes.

What marked the middle ages?

Deep economic and political fragmentation

What characterized ethics during the Middle Ages?

Religion permeated all aspects of life and served as the guarantor of social unity, including ethics.

What happened to medical influence during the Middle Ages?

Civilizations that had been part of the Roman Empire lost influence to other societies.

Who was Asaf ben Berachiah?

A 6th-century figure whose oath shared similarities with the Hippocratic Oath but invoked divinity and had strong religious influence.

What ethical principles were included in Asaf ben Berachiah’s oath?

Refraining from poisons, abortive remedies, sexual contact in patients’ homes, use of surgery only by qualified physicians, and maintaining confidentiality.

Who was Maimonides?

A 12th-century author of the Physician’s Prayer who emphasized the physician’s duty to use all scientific resources to provide the best care.

What changes occurred in ethics during the Modern and Contemporary Ages?

A gradual separation between science and faith and a focus on empirical understanding of human behavior.

Which idea was contributed?

the idea that humans should be the creators of their own knowledge and morality, becoming more autonomous and less reliant on religion.

Which philosophers contributed to modern ethical thought?

Descartes, Spinoza, Hume, and Kant.

Who was Thomas Percival?

The author of the first analytical code of medical ethics and the person who coined the term “medical ethics.”

What was the significance of Percival’s Medical Ethics?

It codified professional conduct toward patients and was adopted by the American Medical Association in 1847.

What ethical frameworks emerged after World War II?

International treaties establishing legal rules for medicine and research.

What is the Nuremberg Code?

A 1947 code establishing ten fundamental principles for human experimentation.

What is the Declaration of Helsinki?

A declaration defining basic principles and standards for clinical research.

What is the Declaration of Geneva?

A modern revision of the Hippocratic Oath adapted to contemporary scientific and social developments.

Why is ethics important in modern dentistry?

Because societal complexity requires new decision-making frameworks that ensure human care and respect for human rights.

What role do professional organizations play in dental ethics?

They work to establish an attainable ethical foundation for dental practice.

What principle regarding human dignity must oral health professionals follow?

They must recognize both themselves and their patients as human beings with dignity and values.

How must oral health professionals treat patients?

Without discrimination based on race, religion, political beliefs, social status, nationality, gender, or sexual preference.

What behaviors must oral health professionals avoid?

Any act that denigrates the honor or dignity of the profession, such as lying, deception, or abuse.

What must guide the practice of dentistry?

Ethical, scientific, and legal principles.

How should quality of dental care be ensured?

The quality of care must be the same in public, private, and educational settings.

What is required to practice dentistry?

Proper professional credentials.

What is professional confidentiality in dentistry?

The obligation to protect all patient information even after the professional relationship ends, unless disclosure is legally required.

What is the obligation regarding professional education?

Continuous and ongoing education in ethical, scientific, and technical fields.

How should ethical and bioethical codes be used in dentistry?

As preventive measures guiding diagnosis, prognosis, and treatment planning.

What is ethics?

A branch of philosophy that studies human behavior from the perspective of good and evil.

What is morality?

A set of values, principles, and norms governing human behavior.

What is scholasticism?

A medieval philosophical current that subordinated reason to faith to understand Christian revelation.

What is deontology?

A branch of ethics that studies the duties and principles governing a profession.

What is bioethics?

A discipline that studies ethical aspects of medicine and biology, prioritizing ethics over other interests.