What is ethics?
Ethics is a branch of philosophy that seeks to understand the nature, justification, and founding principles of mural rules and the systems they compromise.
Micro-ethics
Individuals view of right and wrong = personal ethics.
Macro-ethics
"Global" view of right and wrong laws, religion, norms, morals, codes of conduct.
Philosophical ethics
Injury about ways of life and rules of conduct, general pattern or way of life.
Religious ethics
Religion provides a moral code for appropriate behavior, prospect of divine justice helps us tolerate the injustices in life.
Situational ethics
Refers to a particular view of ethics, in which absolute standards are considered less important than the requirements of a particular situation.
Two ancients philosophers helped shape the early development of ethics.
Socrates and Confucius
Socrates
The father of ethics. Socrates taught Plato who taught Aristotle.
Confucius
Influenced by the political conditions of his region. Initiated Confucianism.
Normative ethics (2 types)
Virtue and nonconsequential
Virtue ethics
Consequential theories, utilitarian ethics, ethical egoism
Nonconseguntial theories
Duty-based ethics, denotological ethics
Alternative approaches
Aristotle's virtues, natural law ethics, ethical relativism
Meta-ethics
Ethics of ethics. Considers general issues such as, the meaning of "right/wrong" or "good/bad" the origins of morals, whether moralityshould vary for different people, etc.
Normative ethics
Involves the standards which right and wrong are determined within or guided by a society. 3 different approaches: virtue-based, consequential, duty-based
Virtue - Based Ethics
Individual values determine ethical issues, encouraging the practice of virtuein habits.
Consequential Ethics
This balances good over bad consequences. Utilitarianism una egoism.
Utilitarianism
The most widely known approach to this area, resolves ethical dilemmas maintains that what is best for the majority is the best solution.
Egoism
Decisions are made for a persons own self-interest.
Duty - based ethics
Deontology or rights- based ethics. Kant's ethics
Deontology
Does not permit the greater good to override an individual's right.
Kant
Consequences are irrelevant.
Maxims
Are rules of action that guide behavior and can become universal laws. Maxims are objective and based on rational thought.
Natural law ethics
Thomas Aquinas. What is good and is proper to human nature. Humans naturally inclined toward moral codes.
Applied ethics
The issue must be controversial in the sense that there is more than one viewpoint. The issue must be classified as a moral
Ethical relativism
Not one ethical theory that covers every situation, it's all relative.
Virtue ethics
Highest good for people. Right actions evolve from character, and the virtuous person has the type of character that does the right thing.
Ethical decision making
The entire healthcare profession and services are based on decisions. Professional knowledge combined with skill plus a caring attitude make for the best patient care knowledge.
Three-step ethical decision-making model
Is it legal? It is balanced? How does it make me feel?