assignment 2

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School

Western Kentucky University *

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305

Subject

Philosophy

Date

Jan 9, 2024

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docx

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Uploaded by shelbyjr1935

I think that the answer to the question of whether or not these actions are ethical is yes and no. These individuals are looking for new methods of treatment, they are doing something that is within their bounds. But to pay another individual, within similar respects, to refer their patients to be guinea pigs. What if, a patient accepts the trial terms, risks, and conditions but they die? Now, the medical professional who referred them suffers no loss of sleep and is $350 richer. The idea that these individuals profited from someone’s death, directly or indirectly, seems shameful. Life goes on, the patients are listed as a steppingstone to the next solution, and the individuals who benefit from it continue as they did before. It paints a bleak picture but if they weren’t being paid, personally, I would say yes. Introduce your patients to new forms of treatment. Explain the risks and possible benefits. Give your patients the chance to make that decision for themselves. This touches on the topics of social conditioning and moral choice. On the one hand, medical professionals have learned to compartmentalize their lives, they lose patients all the time. Social conditioning has indoctrinated them into being able to accept the losses and move on, and for them that is the best thing to do. If they were to allow every loss to consume them, they wouldn’t be able to help the next patient. But, on the other hand, moral choice comes into play when benefits are on the table for certain actions. Medical professionals are paid well, as they should be, but to receive a monetary reward for referring an untested pharmaceutical speaks to individual moral choice. Social conditioning is hard to fight and harder to ignore. It starts from childhood, continuing to shift and change as we do. As we encounter new adventures, new hurdles, our environment is constantly having an effect on our choices and our actions. Moral choice is completely subjective. As we age our morals age with us. As we change so do our morals. Our

personal beliefs, our morals, develop as we discover new things. We’re constantly evolving so our morals, though some may be more set in stone than others, will evolve with us. Ethics are even more subjective. My personal ethics say no, I would feel shame knowing I benefitted in anyway if something were to go wrong. Medical professionals adhere to their own code of ethics, and even deeper their own individual code of ethics.

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