Ethics and Morality

Ethics and Morality

1. Secular Principles

   • Utilitarianism
     • Definition: Judges actions according to the best outcome for all
     • Maximing happiness and minimising hurt
   • Virtue Ethics: Exploring virtue/moral character of the person rather then ethical duties, rules or consequences of particular actions

2. Theories of Moral Development

   • Gilligan
     • Pre-conventional: Actions done with intent of helping themselves survive or feel better
       • Conventional: Willing to give of themselves for the goodness of others
         • Post-Conventional: Want to prevent harm to themselves and others; everyone is a human being
   • Kohleberg
     • Pre-conventional (0-9) Avoid punishment and gain reward
       • Conventional (9-20) Gain approval, avoid disapproval, follow the law, avoid guilt
         • Post-conventional (20+ maybe never Agreed upon rights Universal moral standards

3. Catholic Teachings (bioethics)

   • Catholic Social Teachings: Life and Dignity of the Human Person
     • • Human life is sacred • Dignity of a person is the foundation of a moral vision • The value of human life is threatened by: abortion, euthanasia, cloning, embryonic stream cell research
   • Catholic Moral Theology
     • Everyone is free to make decisions about moral matters according to his or her own conscience.
       • Individual Catholics must have an informed conscience
         • Informed Conscience
           • Well-informed throught consultations with writings, teachings, traditions, religious authorities, etc.

4. 'Ordinary' and 'Extraordinary' Means of Prolonging Life

   • Ordinary
     • Preserving human life as cannot be obtained or used without extreme difficulty in terms of pain, expense, or other burdening factors that apply to the person whose life is at stake or to those on whom his or her welfare depends
   • Extraordinary
     • Whatever means are commonly considered ordinary for the preservation of human life.

5. Buddhist and Jewish Traditions on life/biotechnology

   • Buddhist
     • Embryo Research: should not do experiments on them
     • Genetic Engineering: Will cautiously accept technologies if helps people in the future
     • IVF: Buddhism does not object to this procedure as such because it helps to alleviate a particular type of human suffering (the distress of not being able to have children)
     • Abortion: Traditional- rejects abortion because it involves the deliberate destroying of a life. Modern Buddhists, however, are more divided about the morality of abortion.
   • Jewish
     • Abortion:not forbid abortion, but does not permit abortion on demand. Is only permitted for serious reasons e.g. death of the Mother,mental state of the mother, killer babies
     • IVF: may be permitted but all physical components must only be from the married couple.
     • Embryo Research: Using live embryos is wrong. Left over from IVF is fine

6. Glossary of Terms

   • Bioethics: the study of ethical and moral questions involved in new biological and medical findings
     • Common Good: should benefit the community as a whole. Concerns the rights of individuals in society.
       • Informed Conscience: Christianity says that a conscience must be well informed to determine the rightness of a particular action. A person should consult writing, teachings, traditions etc to make a constructive choice
         • Natural Law: Innate knowledge of right and wrong is part of being human. This theory relies on humans using their powers of reasoning correctly
       • Morality: a code to assist a person in the decision-making process e,g, the beliefs and values of that person
         • Ethics: a discipline involving use of reason and decision making in terms of what is good and bad. considers obligations, responsibilities
       • Care Ethics: Stresses the importance of relationships and appreciation of practical needs
     • Deontological ethics: certain acts must be done regardless of consequence