Ethical Theories and Social Justice: Race, Bias, and Human Research

Classic utilitarianism

Focuses on overall happiness for all involved.

Kantian ethics

Believes that treating any human being as less than a person is unacceptable.

Intrinsic worth

Human beings should be saved, protected, and treated for their intrinsic worth.

Natural law theory

Contends that humans have intrinsic value and traits because they can make rational decisions, choosing right and wrong.

Moral theories

Most support actions that protect, serve, and honor special classes or persons and considerations.

Implicit Bias

A form of bias, prejudice, or attitude that a person is unaware of, occurring automatically and unintentionally.

Effects of implicit bias

Affects judgments, perceptions, decisions, and behaviors, influenced by experience and learned associations.

Institutional Racism

Ways that policies and practices oppress and disadvantage racial groups, which can be interpersonal, cultural, or historical.

Invisible Illness

A medical condition not easily seen by the casual observer, often hard to diagnose and treat, featuring debilitating pain, fatigue, and obscure symptoms.

Race

A group of people related by shared ancestry or heredity, often divided based upon physical traits regarded as typical for a particular racial group.

Racial Discrimination

Any distinction, exclusion, restriction, preference, or unequal treatment of an individual based on race.

Racial Prejudice

an attitude held towards an individual or group that is not justifiable or based upon factual information but instead on unsupported generalizations. It creates a partiality that inhibits objective treatment of individuals, issues, or situations.

Racism

a belief that individuals within a particular racial or ethnic group have distinct human characteristics, abilities, or qualities that determine cultural or individual achievement. It is an idea that one racial group is superior or inferior to other racial groups.

Structural Racism

basis for all forms of racism and can be hard to see in institutions because it is so pervasive.

Utilitarianism

considers beneficence and what would maximize the good for all, believing that human research is acceptable if there is proper informed consent. Otherwise, any benefit of the actual research is questionable if personal liberties are ignored.

Contract Theory

advances the belief that those who are better off should not benefit more than those who are not. Research should help all, especially those in undeveloped countries.