Overview
Compose 2–3 pages in which you respond to a medical ethics dilemma.
By successfully completing this assessment, you will demonstrate your proficiency in the following course competencies:
· Competency 1: Explain the nature of ethical issues.
1. Explain the ethical issue in the scenario.
. Competency 2: Critically examine the contributions of key thinkers from the history of ethics.
2. Apply the three traditional theories of normative ethics to the situation.
. Competency 3: Engage in ethical debate.
3. Describe the advantages and disadvantages of the three theories as they relate to this situation.
. Competency 4: Develop a position on a contemporary ethical issue.
4. Apply ethical theory to justify your ethical position on this issue.
. Competency 5: Communicate effectively in the context of personal and professional moral discourse.
5. Communicate in a manner that is scholarly, professional, and consistent with expectations for members of professional communities.
Context
Context
Ethics is about doing what is right. Traditional normative theories express this goal in one of three ways:
. Virtue Ethics
6. Seek personal excellence by cultivating virtuous habits.
6. Aristotle: Achieve self-sufficiency through moderation.
. Deontological Ethics
7. Do your duty by following the rules.
7. Kant: Act as any rational agent is bound by universal law.
. Consequentialist Ethics
8. Try to make the world a better place by producing good outcomes.
8. Mill: Generate more pleasure and less pain for everyone.
Applying ethical theories to everyday life is not easy, as we consider virtues, duties, and results:
. Virtue Ethics
9. Strengths: Respect for people, moral education, continuing progress.
9. Problems: No direct advice for specific situations, excuse for self-serving.
. Deontological Ethics
10. Strengths: Simple application of rules, avoid personal responsibility.
10. Problems: Rigidly strict, conflicting rules, sometimes bad consequences.
. Consequentialist Ethics
11. Strengths: Flexibility in circumstances, outcomes publicly discernible.
11. Problems: Hard to predict results accurately, especially over the long run.
Using all three is fine, but we need to think through how they cohere or diverge.
Questions to Consider
To deepen your understanding, you are encouraged to consider the questions below and discuss them with a fellow learner, a work associate, an interested friend, or a member of the business community.
As you think about applying ethical theory, consider addressing one of the following questions:
. Which of the three approaches to ethical theory makes the most sense, and why?
. When might Aristotle, Kant, and Mill disagree about how to handle a specific case?
. What theoretical approach are you most likely to employ in particular situations?
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Resources
Suggested Resources
The following optional resources are provided to support you in completing the assessment or to provide a helpful context. For additional resources, refer to the Research Resources and Supplemental Resources in the left navigation menu of your courseroom.
Three Approaches
. Fieser, J. (n.d.). Ethics. Internet Encyclopedia of Philosophy. Retrieved from http://www.iep.utm.edu/ethics/
1. Pages 1–15.
. Hinman, L. M. (2016). Ethical theories. Ethics Updates?. Retrieved from http://ethicsupdates.net/theories/index.shtml
2. Pages 1–2
Virtue Ethics
. Taylor, C. C. W. (2006). Aristotle: Nicomachean ethics, books II–IV . Oxford, UK: Oxford University Press.
. Kemerling, G. (2011). Aristotle: Ethics and the virtues. The Philosophy Pages. Available from http://www.philosophypages.com/hy/2s.htm
4. Pages 1–3.
. Kraut, R. (2014, April 21). Aristotle’s ethics. The Stanford Encyclopedia of Philosophy. Retrieved from http://plato.stanford.edu/entries/aristotle-ethics/
5. Pages 1–27.
. Sachs, J. (n.d.). Aristotle: Ethics. Internet Encyclopedia of Philosophy. Retrieved from http:// http://www.iep.utm.edu/aris-eth/
. Tong, R., & Williams, N. (2009). Feminist ethics. Stanford Encyclopedia of Philosophy. Retrieved from https://plato.stanford.edu/entries/feminism-ethics/
