Ethical Theories: Moral Duty And Obligation

Analysis of Ethical Theories
Deontology
Deontologist’s approach focuses on our sense of moral duty and obligation. It also argues that one must obey the rule of right conduct that has been put in place in our society (Ross & Malloy, 1999). Deontologists argue one has the duty to protect the rights and autonomy of individuals (Rensburg et al, 2013). In Canada, there are laws and policies that promote autonomy and freedom of choice therefore a deontologist argues that the mandated choice of organ donation restricts some aspects of individual autonomy and informed decision making. Besides, Kant’s views promote the ownership of the body and autonomy but opposes mutilation of it parts. Therefore, Kant believes that the body is not an object and
Utilitarianism supports the opt-out policy as opposed to the opt-in policy because it saves more lives in the end. The different forms of utilitarianism view organ donation differently. The act utilitarianism focuses on an individual act that promotes the greatest number of good (Rensburg et al, 2013). In this case, it evaluates each organ donation policy and each case to determine which would produce the maximum good; thus, the act utilitarianism may favor either the mandated choice policy or the opt-in policy depending on the individual situation. The rule utilitarianism follows set rules that when applied, will lead to the maximum happiness. In this case, the rule utilitarianism will be more in favor of the mandated choice than the opt-in policy because of the existence of set rules and laws which will save lives. The problem with this theory is that it may encourage injustice and the Double effect (Bremer et al, 2015); thus, it views the end benefits of organ donation as a justification the
With organ donation it is crucial for the patients to make informed decisions if they agree to donate their organs especially in living organ donation where harm may come to the patient from the procedure. The mandated choice model may be modified to promote awareness of this model so that individuals are aware that they are required to opt out if they do not wish to donate their organ, also educating patients about the risk and benefits of organ donation thereby promoting their ability to make an informed decision. The concept of autonomy as moral self-evaluation considers empowerment of the patient to consider alternative health-related values through dialogue, a trusting nurse-client relationship and being aware of the implications of organ donation (Yeo et al, 2010). Arguably, because with the opt-in model, family members’ opinions are highly considered, the wishes of a deceased individual to donate their organ may not be respected if the family opposes organ donation. On the other hand, the mandated consent respects individuals wishes and ensures that they are actually carried out, because family members’ opinion are not considered; henceforth, it promotes individual autonomy and self-determination of the