ETHICS

Almay Minka R. Gamayon, RMT

HUMAN EXISTENCE AND ETHICS: ETHICS

 The moral code that guides how an individual should behave.

 It deals with moral principles as a branch of knowledge
 Ethics is about the individual’s search for meaning while
dealing with human problems which may be (Timbreza,
1993)
 logical (problems of reasoning)
 epistemological (problems of truth)
 cosmological (problems of universe)
 ethical (problems of morality)
 aesthetical (problems of art and beauty)
 scientific problems (problems of science)
HUMAN EXISTENCE AND ETHICS:
HUMAN EXISTENCE
 inexplicable; mysterious
 The moment a person is born, he or she begins
to suffer and will continue to suffer until
death (Timbreza, 1993)
 To have been born human is tragic because life
is a perpetual process of making sense of the
absurdity of one’s existence
SCHOOLS OF ETHICS

 ETHICS
 deals with a diverse prescription of universal concepts and
principles that serve as foundation of moral beliefs.

There is no such universal or absolute ethical principle that

would apply to all (Ethical Relativism). The standards of
right or wrong are always relative depending on cultural and
social factors.

 MORALITY
 can be viewed in different perspectives – as a law, as an
inner conviction, as love, as personal growth, and as social
transformation (Donal Harrington).
SCHOOLS OF ETHICS

ETHICS MORALITY
Theoretical Based on principles
Prescriptions/Critiques practiced by a particular
• The nature of the good community
• The nature of human • Fundamental convictions
person of human agent
• Criteria for judgement • Character of moral agent
• Use of norms
• Situational analysis
ETHICAL RELATIVISM

 Also known as moral relativism

 A school of ethics anchored on the principle that morality is
relative to the norms relative of a particular culture
 Theory based on norms relative to a particular culture or
society
Some cultures may accept certain acts and behaviors that are
unacceptable to other cultures.
 Acknowledges societal diversity, that every society has a
unique moral design and culture and people’s beliefs are
greatly influenced by culture.
 The challenge to each society is the preservation of its
cultural uniqueness and acknowledgment of cultural differences.
ETHICAL PRAGMATISM

 A philosophical approach or movement that began in the 1870s

coined by Charles Sanders Peirce and further developed by
William James.
 Considered as America’s most distinctive and major
contribution to the field of philosophy.
 More of a theory on knowledge, truth and meaning rather than
morality
 Although the language of moral interest may appear in many
of the writings of Peirce and James, it is interesting that
a pragmatic conception of good and truth can be applied in
the medical context especially in terms of decision making
and moral reasoning.
ETHICAL UTILITARIANISM

 Founded by two English Philosophers Jeremy Bentham

(1748-1832) and John Stuart Mill (1806-1873)
 States that the rightness or wrongness of actions is
determined by their consequences
 “Actions are good insofar as they tend to promote
happiness, bad as they tend to produce unhappiness. The
utility or usefulness of an action is determined by the
extent to which it promotes happiness rather than its
reverse.” (Principle of Utility, Mill)
PROFESSIONAL ETHICS

 Covers the morally accepted behavior of individuals

in the workplace while ethics covers the philosophy
of doing what is right
 Guides individuals in dealing with issues and
conflicts in the workplace in order for them to
remain functional.
 The code of ethics of a particular profession serves
as the guiding principle in the ethical practice of a
profession.
 Professionalism in the workplace is necessary in
maintaining a healthy and productive work
environment.
MORAL ISSUES

 Diversity, decision making, compliance and

governance are some of the concerns that need to be
considered when doing an ethical review in the
context of the health care profession.

Examples:
Abortion
Euthanasia (Mercy Killing)
Genetic Engineering
 ABORTION

 Considered illegal in the Philippines but other countries, such as Argentina, legalize it already.
 Article II, Section 12 of the 1987 Philippine Constitution states that:
The state recognizes the sanctity of life and shall protect and strengthen the family as a
basic autonomous social institution. It shall equally protect the life of the mother and the life of the
unborn from conception.
 It can be direct, induced or even caused by natural cases or accidents. In some instances,
abortion becomes necessary when the life of the mother is at stake.
 For anti-abortion groups, it is the ultimate violation of life for it is the act of killing an individual
that is not yet able to speak for himself or herself
 For those who support abortion, they believe that pregnant women, especially victims of rape
should be given the chance to decide for themselves
 Requires deeper understanding as an ethical issue due to opposing views
EUTHANASIA (MERCY KILLING)

The process of inducing the painless

death of a person who is severely
debilitated for reasons assumed to be
merciful, either through voluntary, non-
voluntary or involuntary means (Herbert
Hendin, 2004)
EUTHANASIA (MERCY KILLING)

 The practice of ending a life unintentionally,

usually in situations when the individual is
terminally ill, to relieve him or her of pain and
suffering.
 Regarded as a merciful release of an individual from
an incurable sickness.
 Voluntary euthanasia is when an individual gives
consent to subject to himself or herself to a
painless death.
EUTHANASIA (MERCY KILLING)

 Non-voluntary euthanasia is conducted when the

permission of the patient to perform the process is
unavailable, like in the case of patient in deep
comatose, or neonates born with significant and major
birth defects.

 Involuntary euthanasia is when the individual does

not give his or her consent.

 Remains to be controversial because it is the act of

taking away a life in a way that is perceived to be
against the society’s accepted moral standards.
GENETIC ENGINEERING

 A controversial ethical issue because it

involves genetic manipulations that are
perceived to be against moral standards set by
the society

 Through this, humans are seen to be acting as

their own gods because of procedures that enable
them to manipulate the genetic make-up of
organisms.
GENETIC ENGINEERING:
GENETIC SCREENING
It is a procedure
whose main purpose is to
screen, choose and select
the genes for proper
detection of any genetic
disease and other
chromosomal malformations
(Ciabal, 2003). It is
usually done for the
early diagnosis of
diseases.
GENETIC ENGINEERING:
GENETIC INTERVENTIONS
Techniques such as
genetic control, therapy and
surgery. People can now
“intervene” in the
biological process and
“control” bad or defective
genes. (Ciabal, 2003)
GENETIC ENGINEERING:
STEM CELL THERAPY
 It is a form of genetic
engineering that makes use
of stem cells to treat or
prevent diseases.
 It has been the subject of
controversy because of how
stem cells are sourced.
GENETIC ENGINEERING:
IN VITRO FERTILIZATION
 It is also known as laboratory
fertilization.
 It became the subject of
controversies because of many
religious groups opposing the
procedure as they perceive it
to be a deviation from natural
process of fertilization.