lecture 3

Question 1

virtue ethics

Answer 1

• morality depends on moral character
• human flourishing as highest goal
• teological
• goal directed not rule guided

Question 2

eudaimonia

Answer 2

flourishing, a good life, happiness, prosperity, bliss

Question 3

why consequentialism appeals in health ethics

Answer 3

• clear decision rule
• practical in emergencies
• population focus
• adaptability

Question 4

critique of virtue ethics

Answer 4

• fundamentally personal
• present difficulties

Question 5

principlism

Answer 5

morality depends on 4 universal principles and how we balance them

Question 6

what is a principle

Answer 6

• general rule or standard to guide moral conduct
• help us justify choices and actions
• puts value into practise

Question 7

principles in health ethics

Answer 7

• non maleficence
• autonomy
• beneficence
• Justice

Question 8

principlism’s claims

Answer 8

1. there are no norms intrinsic to medical practise that should guide determinations of what the best action is in medicine
2. there are fundamental ethical principles shared among diverse ethical theories that should guide ethical action in medicine
3. particular moral judgements involve applications of [these] principles and rules to concrete situations

Question 9

upon what should justice be based

Answer 9

1. equality
2. need
3. desert based approaches (contribution, effort, compensation)
4. equality of opportunity

Question 10

ethical dilemma meaning

Answer 10

• a difficult situation where someone is forced to make a choice between two things of equal importance

Question 11

crucial features of a moral dilemma

Answer 11

1. agent is required to do each of two (or more) actions
2. the agent can do each of the actions
3. but the agent cannot do both (or all) of the actions

• seems condemned to moral failure

Question 12

two steps of solving ethical dilemmas

Answer 12

• specification - state principles
• balancing - resolve by weighting, which should be prioritized

Question 13

key features of principlism

Answer 13

• pluralism
• non-absolutism
• non-axiologically structured - principle based

Question 14

Upshurs four principles

Answer 14

• harm principle
• least coercive means
• transparency
• reciprocity - the costs associated with discharging one’s duties should be compensated