Analysis of Bioethical IssuesMarie Angela Nee

Bioethics

branch of applied ethics that studies

the philosophical, social, and legal

issues arising in medicine and the life

sciences. It is chiefly concerned with

human life and well-being, though it

sometimes also treats ethical

questions relating to the nonhuman

biological environment

Bioethical Issues

Areas of health sciences that are the

subject of published, peer-reviewed

bioethical analysis

- Abortion

- Cloning

- Confidentiality

- Euthanasia

- Assisted suicide

Ethical Method

draws upon ethical theory to apply,

extrapolate, and critique rules and

principles and to evolve ethical codes

into useful and relevant guidelines to

which the standards of validity,

relevance, and comparability may be

applied

Ethical Issues

Authority

- On what basis is ethical authority

bestowed or should an ethical

decision or recommendation be

made?

Meaning

- What is meant by terms such as

“good” and “bad”, and other

components of the language of ethics

in the context of the decision at hand?

Norms

-What are the pertinent ethical

norms—the rules, principles, and

implicit and explicit codes of behavior

that govern, or that ought to govern,

human behavior—and how are they to

be applied?

Justification and Validation

On what basis may these ideas be

validated, justified, or criticized? How

can one be sure they are right, or at

least defensible? Are there reliable

tests to judge the validity and

relevance of ethical rules, principles,

and decisions?

Consistency

-As a matter of justice, are morally

similar circumstances handled in

morally similar manners?

Decision Making

- By what process should ethical

decisions be undertaken?

Policy- How should ethical considerations

influence matters of institutional and

social policy?

Standards in Ethical

Methodology concerned in distinguishing things that

are morally obligated or permitted

from those things that are morally

prohibited

arguments marshaled to make these

distinctions must meet certain

standards

Standards in Ethical

Methodology

Impartiality/objectivity

Fairness/ consistency

Material comprehensiveness

Universality

Deontological MethodsJohn Paul B. Aparece

Deontology

- 'deon' comes from the Greek word deon,

which means 'duty'.

-Duty-based ethics teaches that some acts

are right or wrong because of the sorts of

things they are, and people have a duty to

act accordingly, regardless of the good or

bad consequences that may be produced.

Someone who follows Duty-based

ethics should do the right thing, even

if that produces more harm (or less

good) than doing the wrong thing:

People have a duty to do the right

thing, even if it produces a bad

result.

Example

It would be wrong to tell a lie in

order to save a friend from a

murderer.

1. Legalism

A strict, literal, or excessive conformity

to a religious or moral code

The legalist tradition derives from the

principle that the best way to control

human society is through written law

rather than through ritual, custom or

ethics.

2. Deontologism

ethical position claiming that the

rightness or wrongness of actions

depends on whether they correspond

to our duty or not.

duty or obligation is binding even

though a moral action may be different

or result in painful consequences

Examples

Do the right thing.

Do it because it's the right thing to do.

Don't do wrong things.

Avoid them because they are wrong.

3. Legal positivism

A school of Jurisprudence whose

advocates believe that the only

legitimate sources of law are those

written rules, regulations, and

principles that have been expressly

enacted, adopted, or recognized by a

governmental entity or political

institution

What is law?

written decisions made by

governmental bodies that are

endowed with the legal power to

regulate particular areas of society

and human conduct

therefore

If a principle, rule, regulation,

decision, judgment, or other law is

recognized by a duly authorized

governmental body or official, then it

will qualify as law,