Biomedical Ethics Exam 1 Review Sheet (Fall 2023)
.docx
keyboard_arrow_up
School
Nazareth College Of Rochester *
*We aren’t endorsed by this school
Course
391
Subject
Philosophy
Date
Dec 6, 2023
Type
docx
Pages
4
Uploaded by MinisterWorldManatee15
Biomedical Ethics (PHL 391)
Exam 1 Review Sheet
Fall 2023
Exam 1 will be in class on Wednesday, September 20.
I will choose 8 of the following 10 questions to put on the exam. You will then need to write on 7
of those 8 questions
. Each question is worth five points. Give as complete and accurate of
answers as possible. If you have any questions as you are studying for the exam, you are
welcome to stop by office hours or make an appointment.
1.
What is ethics? Explain the differences among normative ethics, descriptive ethics,
applied ethics, and metaethics. Which type of ethics is biomedical ethics primarily?
Explain why. See Chapter 1 of
Bioethics
.
Ethics is the study/discipline that is concerned with morality. Normative ethics is one that
primarily is based in philosophy theory and application. The next form of ethics is called
applied ethics. This is one where we will be taking norms and concepts then applying it to
medical/moral issues. We will be using applied ethics in this class because we are using
moral norms and concepts to resolve practical moral issues. Another form is descriptive
ethics that is observation based using the methods of empirical sciences. This type of
ethics is very opinionated. The final type of ethics, metaethics, is centered around the
meaning of moral terms and theories. This form of ethics dives into the meaning of
justice and morality.
2. Lewis Vaughn, the editor of
Bioethics
, states: “Some people confuse morality with the law, or
identify the one with the other, but the two are distinct though they may often coincide” (p. 7).
Explain this quote. How are law and morality related? Give an example from biomedical ethics
or elsewhere in daily life to show how law and morality coincide and another example to show
how they are distinct.
3. Define the five basic principles in bioethics: autonomy, non-maleficence, beneficence, utility,
and justice.
See Chapter 1 of
Bioethics
.
Autonomy is the right for a rational person to choose their own decision through self-
determination and self-governance. Non-maleficence is to do no harm, whether it is intentional
or unintentional. Beneficence is the principle where you must actively promote the well-being of
others, by preventing or removing harm. The principle of utility is where we should produce a
favorable balance of good over bad, more specifically the benefit over harm. However, this
principle is only a supplement not a substitute for other principles. The justice principle is one
where everyone must get what is fair and their due distributive justice.
4.
What is ethical relativism? What is moral objectivism? What is moral absolutism? What is
one main concern with using ethical relativism in healthcare or biomedical research, and why
does this lead most bioethicists to argue for moral objectivism? See Chapter 1 of
Bioethics
.
Ethical relativism is the view that moral standards aren’t objective but relative to what culture or
individuals believe. Most say that this is false because healthcare practices could become
inconsistent and there could be no clear wrong vs right when it comes to ethical dilemmas. Moral
objectivism is the view that some moral standards are objective, meaning they don’t change
based on a person’s moral standards. Moral absolutism is the view that moral standards have no
exceptions and are applied the same across all cases. Because of the issues with ethical
relativism, it is better to use moral objectivism when dealing with bioethics because most of the
moral norms are objective, then healthcare decisions are more universal, and can be made easier
by professionals.
5. State the Euthyphro dilemma. How does this dilemma illustrate two different conceptions of
the relationship between ethics and religion? Present an issue in biomedical ethics and explain
how different views on the dilemma might respond to this issue. See Chapter 1 of
Bioethics
.
Are actions good because God says they’re good? Or are they good independently of god’s will,
and based on reason alone? If we abide by religious reasoning, the moral of others may not align
with the physicians. It is better to debate moral values with whether they’re good or not with
reason. For instance, if a physician has to decide whether or not a surgery is risky or worth the
benefit of healing, they may take into their own opinion that it may not be right to provide this
information to the patient cuz they may believe that certain care is what god believes is right, and
is not taking into account the patient’s beliefs and values.
6. Define five
of the following ethical theories: utilitarianism, deontology, natural law theory,
virtue ethics, care ethics, contractarianism, and feminist ethics. See Chapter 2 of
Bioethics
Utilitarianism is the theory that the actions is only right or wrong based on the end result of said
action. More specifically act utilitarianism, says that the rightness of the act depends on the good
produced by the individuals actions. Whereas, in rule utilitarianism says that the rightness of an
act is based on following the rules or principles of a procedure that is governing one’s actions. In
deontology theory, one acts rightly when they act out of duty alone. The intentions make the act
good over the consequences or outcomes of said act. Principalism is the view that there must be
Your preview ends here
Eager to read complete document? Join bartleby learn and gain access to the full version
- Access to all documents
- Unlimited textbook solutions
- 24/7 expert homework help