PHL 116 Bioethics - Mod 4 Principles

utilitarianism

maximize overall happiness (care)

deontology

respect people’s autonomy (liberty)

3 layers of ethics

metaethics

normative ethics

applied ethics

metaethics

concerns the status of morality itself

normative ethics

concerns theories that systematically explain what is right and wrong

applied ethics

concerns a particular moral issue

Elaine Herzberg

hit and killed by self-driving car

trolley problem IRL by Mindfield

volunteers deceived to be part of moral dilemma of life or death

yes ethical - care, authority, liberty

not ethical - unloyal, degrading, harm

nazi medical experiments

subjected prisoners to high altitude, sterilization, experimental vaccines and drugs; esp. on twins

Nuremberg Code (1947) for experiments

1. voluntary consent is essential

2. should be fruitful results for the good of society, unprocurable by other methods

3. should be based on the results of animal experimentation and knowledge of the history of the problem

4. should avoid all unnecessary physical and mental suffering and injury

5. the degree of risk should not exceed the humanitarian importance of the problem

6. proper preparations to protect the subject against remote possibilities of injury

7. conducted by only scientifically qualified persons

8. subjects should be at liberty to end the test

paternalism

practice on the part of people in positions of authority restricting the freedom and responsibilities of those subordinate to them, in the subordinate’s best interest

informed consent

nowadays, almost is always required before action

Tuskegee Syphilis Study

residents were not informed of the penicillin treatment

result: Institutional review boards which must approve human subjects research before it begins; belmont principles

4 principles of bioethics by Beauchamp and Childress

autonomy

beneficence

nonmaleficence

justice

beneficence

help people

nonmaleficence

to not harm people

Dr. Roozrokh

in 2006 was charged with letting patients die more quickly in order to use their organs

Doctrine of Double Effect

it is sometimes permissible to bring about as a side effect what one should not directly intend

Double Effect example: remove mother’s uterus

effect 1: save mother (good and directly intended)

effect 2: kill baby (bad but unintended) (side-effect)

consequentialism

philosophies where only outcomes matter; ex: utilitarianism

non-consequentialism

philosophies where more than just the outcomes matter; ex: deontology and virtue ethics

deontology

an action is right if it treats a person as ends in themselves and not as a mere means

basic idea to respect people’s autonomy

virtue ethics

an act is right when it exhibits virtues

(morality depends heavily on relationships/roles)