Bioethics chapter 1

Morality

Not the same as ethics; concerns rules, principles, and theories that direct conduct.

Moral obligations

Concern our duty and refer to conduct; dictates how to behave.

Moral values

Judgment of something that is morally right or wrong.

Ethics

The study of morality using philosophical tools; also known as moral philosophy.

Descriptive ethics

Investigating the empirical facts of morality; actual behaviors, beliefs, and practices determining moral experience.

Normative ethics

Search and justification of moral norms/standards; establishes norms as guides for actions and judgments.

Metaethics

Study of the meaning and justification of moral beliefs; asks what it means for an action to be right or wrong.

Applied ethics

Use of moral norms to solve moral issues related to professional fields like law, business, or journalism.

Bioethics

A branch of applied ethics dealing with healthcare moral issues.

Nonmoral norms

Aesthetic, prudential, or legal norms which differ from moral norms.

Normative dominance

Moral norms override nonmoral norms.

Impartiality

Everyone is treated equally, with no one above moral norms.

Reasonableness

Moral norms are determined through careful consideration rather than impulsive reactions.

Supererogatory action

An action that is above and beyond our duty.

Absolute principle

Applies without exceptions.

Prima facie

Applies in all cases unless an exception is present.

Autonomy

Person’s rational capacity to self-govern or make decisions.

Paternalism

Overriding a decision for a person's own good; can be weak or strong.

Nonmaleficence

Preventing unnecessary harm in the care setting.

Beneficence

Actively promotes the well-being of others.

Utility

Produces the most favorable balance of good over bad for all concerned.

Justice

Getting what is fair or what is due; relates to distributive and retributive justice.

Libertarianism

Emphasizes personal freedom and right to pursue one's own social and economic interests.

Egalitarianism

A just distribution is an equal distribution; everyone should share.

Moral objectivism

Some morals are objective and not influenced by opinion.

Moral absolutism

Objective moral principles that allow no exceptions.

Ethical relativism

Moral standards are relative to what individuals or cultures believe; no objective moral truths.

Subjective relativism

Refers to one person's feelings or values regarding an action.

Cultural relativism

Moral rightness is defined by what a culture approves.

Divine command theory

Right actions are those commanded by God; criticized for moral independence from God.

Argument

A set of assertions where at least one statement supports another; differs from persuasion.

Premises

Supporting statements in an argument.

Conclusion

Supported statement in an argument.

Deductive argument

Gives logical conclusive support; if the premise is true, the conclusion must be true.

Inductive argument

Offers probable support to the conclusion; making a guess.

Modus ponens

A logical form: If P then Q; P is true, so Q is true.

Modus tollens

A logical form: If P then Q; Q is false, so P is false.

Affirming the consequent

Invalid argument format: If P then Q; Q is true, so P is true.

Denying the antecedent

Invalid argument format: If P then Q; P is false, so Q is false.

Moral argument

An argument that ends in a moral statement.

Bad arguments

Arguments that contain logical fallacies such as strawman or ad hominem.

Strawman fallacy

Misrepresentation of a view to attack it more easily.

Ad hominem fallacy

Rejecting a statement because of the person, not the statement itself.

Appeal to ignorance

Claiming truth because it hasn't been proven false, or vice versa.

Slippery slope fallacy

Arguing against an action because of potential dire consequences.

Begging the question

Circular argument that restates rather than proves a claim.

Dunning-Kruger effect

Being unaware of one's own ignorance.