Cindy Sagastume

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School

Arizona State University, Tempe *

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210

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Philosophy

Date

Feb 20, 2024

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docx

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Uploaded by cindyvsagastume

Cindy Sagastume HCR 210 1/13/24 Ethical Theory Application Part 1: As humans, we are faced with various ethical dilemmas on a day to day basis- some more miniscule than others- but are nonetheless still considered ethical dilemmas. Ethical dilemmas are situations where we have to make a decision based on what we believe is wrong or right, but there are theories that help us make those decisions. Deontology derives from the Greek word “deon” which means “duty”. This theory is associated with the German philosopher Immanuel Kant and can be described as making decisions/behaving based on our duties. He believed that a person should act and make decisions based only on good will and moral principles that benefit those around them, even though those decisions may come with no personal benefit. (Morrison et al, 2019). Authority-Based/Natural Law both have to do with doing what is right based on religious beliefs/ belief in authority figures ideologies. Authority-Based theories can be culture/faith based and help determine right from wrong based on what someone of a higher power has said. An example of this in real life would be growing up as a female in a traditional latino household. A female sees and is taught by her elders that her decisions and behaviors are entirely centered around household chores, child care, and nurturing a working husband. Natural Law theories help people make decisions based on the natural order of the world provided to us by God’s wisdom (Morrison et al, 2019). Controversial debates on procedures like euthanasia, sex changes, and abortion all stem from Natural Law ideas. Virtue Ethics has most of its roots that can be traced back to Aristotle (384- 322 BCE). In our textbook, it is explained that “the key idea behind virtue ethics is to find the proper end for humans and to seek out that end” (Morrison et al, 2019). Aristotle believed that your best self is within you and only requires character development through nurturing and perfecting by performing virtuous acts based on your moral compass. Lastly, Consequentialism/ Utilitarian Theory stems from the work of British philosopher Mill, whose idea is that a person's intentions are irrelevant and the only thing that

matters are the outcomes of the person's decisions/behavior. There are two forms of consequentialism: “classical utilitarianism” and “rule consequentialism”. Classical utilitarianism is the belief that the actions are right or wrong based on their net benefit (“the greatest good for the greatest number”). And rule consequentialism is where rules are developed by a decision maker that have the greatest net benefit. Part 2: In this specific case study, I believe the person facing the ethical dilemma is Brenton's parents. Based on the information given to us by the case study, they both seem as if they have grasped the severity of Brenton’s prognosis and are now faced with the dilemma of whether or not it is ethical to keep Brenton in the dark. Is it ethical to make decisions that will affect whatever life he has left that they are the most comfortable with, instead of allowing him to make his own decisions that he is most comfortable with? Part 3: I believe that the ethical theory that would help the care provider in this dilemma would be deontological theory. This theory is based on the idea that a person makes a decision based on their duty, regardless of whether or not that decision is beneficial to a specific party. In this case, a care provider’s duty is to educate a patient on their health and make decisions based on their health that would make them the most comfortable. As Brenton’s provider, I would make sure that the parents AND Brenton know that if treatment continues, it will only prolong his life for a short time but at the cost of the side effects of treatment like constant fatigue, nausea, pain, muscle weakness, etc. I would push for the decision to be made that treatment should come to an end so he could live out the rest of his life comfortably and happy. From the parent’s perspective, I believe that natural law theories would help them in this dilemma. Natural Law theories are based on the idea that God has already set forth that natural order of all things in the world. In this case, it may be easy for the parents to take from these theories as they are already very religious. Brenton’s parents would use Natural Law theories to realize that it was already in God’s plan for Brenton to be placed onto this path and so the only ethical decision for them as parents is to explain to Brenton the two options they have: to continue or end treatment and what each of those

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