Ethics: Key Words and Concepts
Ethics key words and concepts
Ethics 1: truth telling
Duty of candour:
This is the duty of being honest and straightforward in attitude and speech.
The moral tension between beneficence and respect for autonomy:
The principle of nonmaleficence is translated from ‘first, do no harm’ (Hippocratic oath) and what intends to say that if you can not do any good without causing harm then do not do it at all.
The principle of beneficence is understood as the first principle of morality and follows closely to nonmaleficence. Its meaning is to do good for the patient. It does however depend on what one defines good as. The difference between beneficence and nomaleficence can be see in the following example:
A doctor places a venflon into the patients are so that drugs can be delivered to the patient intravenously. This can be seen as beneficence because you are doing good for the patient. However, there is also nonmaleficence because you are hurting the patient in the process. In this cases beneficence trumps nonmaleficence.
The principle of autonomy is that an adult with a capacity to decide has a full and perfect right what is done to their body.
Beneficence vs. autonomy:
An example of such would be a patient has been diagnosed with cancer and the doctor informs the patient of chemotherapy and its benefits. The doctor recommends it to the patient as he will live a year longer than without it. The patient however decides not to have chemotherapy. In this case it is the interpretation of beneficence from the doctor (i.e. take chemo) versus the patients autonomy (his right to decline chemo) and the principle issue is the quality of life. Beneficence versus autonomy has an important role in truth telling and it is our duty to tell the patient everything that is relevant.
Utilitarianism/ Consequentialism v. deontological arguments:
Utilitarianism ⋄ an action should lead to the greatest amount of happiness in the majority of people.
Consequentialism ⋄ an
Ethics 1: truth telling
Duty of candour:
This is the duty of being honest and straightforward in attitude and speech.
The moral tension between beneficence and respect for autonomy:
The principle of nonmaleficence is translated from ‘first, do no harm’ (Hippocratic oath) and what intends to say that if you can not do any good without causing harm then do not do it at all.
The principle of beneficence is understood as the first principle of morality and follows closely to nonmaleficence. Its meaning is to do good for the patient. It does however depend on what one defines good as. The difference between beneficence and nomaleficence can be see in the following example:
A doctor places a venflon into the patients are so that drugs can be delivered to the patient intravenously. This can be seen as beneficence because you are doing good for the patient. However, there is also nonmaleficence because you are hurting the patient in the process. In this cases beneficence trumps nonmaleficence.
The principle of autonomy is that an adult with a capacity to decide has a full and perfect right what is done to their body.
Beneficence vs. autonomy:
An example of such would be a patient has been diagnosed with cancer and the doctor informs the patient of chemotherapy and its benefits. The doctor recommends it to the patient as he will live a year longer than without it. The patient however decides not to have chemotherapy. In this case it is the interpretation of beneficence from the doctor (i.e. take chemo) versus the patients autonomy (his right to decline chemo) and the principle issue is the quality of life. Beneficence versus autonomy has an important role in truth telling and it is our duty to tell the patient everything that is relevant.
Utilitarianism/ Consequentialism v. deontological arguments:
Utilitarianism ⋄ an action should lead to the greatest amount of happiness in the majority of people.
Consequentialism ⋄ an