1. Seminar Two

2.  1. Review of Work Due  2. Course Content  Review of Consequentialism  Non-Consequentialism  Medical Ethics  Doctor-Patient Relationships  Truth-telling and Informed Consent  Behavior Control  The Impact of New Technologies

3.  Discussion Board  Two threads  1) Are there certain moral absolutes we all should live by? Do emotions have a place in determining what is ethical and what isn’t?  2) What is the best course of action when the patient’s right to confidentiality potentially conflicts with the well being of others?

4.  Discussion Board: One thread  Research based posting. Abortion is a sensitive topic, so it is important to research this issue from as many perspectives as possible. You are required to research at least three websites.  Your posting should evaluate the websites you are researching, not your own views on the topic.  Your task is to compare the arguments made in the various sources in terms of quality and to see which theories are being used to support the arguments being made.

5.  Your task is to write a one paragraph to one page position paper in which you argue for a particular position or stance. For instance, if writing about abortion, you may want to argue that it is never permissible, or alternatively, that it is justifiable under certain circumstances.  You should choose a topic from unit three, bioethics.  Your paper should reference key theories and/or concepts we have discussed thus far. For instance: duty-based reasoning, consequentialism, virtue ethics, prima facie rights, etc.  Don’t forget to check your paper against the grading rubric!

6.  Review of consequentialism  An action is good based on the consequences it produces.  Utilitarianism: actions that benefit the greatest number of people are good.  Egoism: actions that benefit the actor are good.  Altruism: actions that benefit others are good.  Care ethics: actions that promote caring relations with others and that preserve the well being of loved ones are good.

7.  Intentions are not taken into consideration  Whether or not an action is good may depend on luck. What does this mean in terms of personal responsibility?

8.  An act is good when it is in accord with one’s duty, regardless of the consequences.  Act non-consequentialism: a view that states that because no two situations are exactly the same, no rules can be made about moral behavior. Each situation must be approached in a unique way.  Intuitionism: An action is right if it is done in accord with one’s own unique intuition about the situation.

9.  An act is good if it is done in accord with an absolute rule.  Divine Command Ethics  Kant’s duty ethics  Reason alone can tell us right from wrong  The categorical imperative: act as if your rule for action were a universal law.  Ethical rules must be universal and consistent.  Ethical rules should be “reversible.”

10.  Respect for others: Never treat another person merely as a means, but always as an end.  Humans are autonomous or “self-determining.” To treat another as a means to an end is to ignore this aspect of an individual.  An action has moral worth when it is done for the sake of duty, not when it stems from an emotion.

11.  Consequences are not considered.  What happens when duties conflict?

12.  As a way to respond to criticisms of Kant’s approach to ethics, the idea of a prima facie duty was developed.  A prima facie duty is a duty that in general must be obeyed, but can be overridden by particular circumstances.  When prima facie duties conflict, we must act in according to the highest duty.

13.  Hippocratic Oath: Do no harm; do not disclose private information  Doctor Patient relationship:  Three general approaches:  Paternalism. “The Doctor Knows Best.”  Radical Individualism. “It’s my body and I’ll do what I want.”  The Reciprocal View “Can’t we all just get along?”

14.  Truth telling and informed Consent  Do patients have the right to know the truth of their condition?  Is it in fact in my best interest to know everything about my condition? Why or why not?  If information would cause me harm, should it be revealed?

15.  Informed Consent: Who has heard of the Tuskegee Experiment?  Confidentiality: To what degree should medical information be considered private?  For instance, in 2007, Andrew Speaker, a 31 year old lawyer from Atlanta boarded a transatlantic flight while suffering from a drug resistant form of tuberculosis in order to be married. Should he have been prevented from flying altogether, or does he have a right to move about as he pleases? Do the other people on the flight have a right to know about his health?  Is a quarantine unethical? Why or why not?  If a person has a sexually transmitted disease, should health care officials inform the partner(s) of this individual?

16. Who had a disruptive classmate when growing up at school? What were the effects of this classmate on the learning process? How was the problem resolved?

17.  Is it appropriate to require the student to use behavior modifying drugs in order to return to school? A consequentialist would say…  A non-consequentialist would say…  Do we know is clearly appropriate and inappropriate behavior?  Who has seen the movie or read the book A Clockwork Orange?  Why are we concerned with behavior control? What value does it conflict with? What values does it help sustain? Is there a way to balance out these interests when they conflict?

18.  What kind of ethical guidelines should be established concerning new technologies relating to genetics, stem cell research, and organ transplantation?  As technologies change, our ethical codes likewise need to adapt to these changes.  As organ and tissue transplants become more common, what kind of regulations need to be developed? How do I know where these body parts came from? As a recipient, do I have the right to know the details of the person’s life?