LYCEUM OF APARRI

COLLEGE OF HEALTH
BS-NURSING 2
HEALTH ETHICS
UNDER THE SUPERVISION OF MS MARILYN S. SALVADOR
TOPIC: OTHER ETHICAL PRINCIPLES

o Exploration of justice, prudence, and the

OUTLINE
ultimate end of human life (bonum
Catholic Social Teaching commune)
o Provides a foundational framework for
Principle of Double Effect
later Catholic moral theology and social
Principle of Legitimate Cooperation teachings.
Principle of the Common Good and Subsidiarity CATECHISM OF THE CATHOLIC CHURCH
OVERVIEW: 1. Foundations of Morality:
 Grounded in Scripture, Tradition, and
The following Ethical Principles to be discussed are of Magisterium.
Catholic Origin.  Emphasizes human dignity and the
By his reason, man recognizes the voice of God which sanctity of life.
urges him "to do what is good and avoid what is evil." 2. Freedom and Responsibility:
Everyone is obliged to follow this law, which makes itself  Human freedom as a gift and
heard in conscience and is fulfilled in the love of God responsibility.
and of neighbor. Living a moral life bears witness to the  Calls for responsible use of freedom.
dignity of the person. 3. Moral Law and Conscience:
 Natural moral law guided by reason and
CCC 1706 revelation.
COMPONENTS OF MORAL ACTIONS:  Emphasizes the importance of a well-
formed conscience.
1. Object- The Action Itself 4. Virtues and Vices:
2. Mean/ End- The Purpose  Cardinal and theological virtues guide
3. Circumstances- The Conditions virtuous living.
 Identification of vices hindering moral
THOMAS AQUINAS growth.
5. Social Justice:
 13th-century philosopher and theologian
 Church commitment to social justice and
 Blended Christian theology with classical
promoting the common good.
philosophy
 Pioneer of moral theology in Catholic tradition
 Emphasized reason and faith integration in
ethics
 Influential in Catholic philosophy
 Continues to shape moral thought and ethical
discussions.
SUMMA THEOLOGICA
o Magnum opus written 1265-1274
o Comprehensive work on theology,
philosophy, and morality
o Structured as Q&A, systematic
approach to understanding God, ethics,
and humanity
o Discussion of virtues, vices, and
principles of natural law
PRINCIPLE OF DOUBLE EFFECT
(AKA DOCTRINE OF DOUBLE EFFECT, PDE, DDE) PRINCIPLE OF LEGITIMATE COOPERATION

an action which has two effects, one good An application of the Principle of Double Effect to
situations involving cooperation with someone else's
and one evil, may still be chosen actions.
without sin. Ethical Dilemma In Short, INVOLVEMENT OF VARIOUS PEOPLE IN
MORALLY DECIDING FOR ONE ETHICAL DILLEMA.
“COOPERATION”

CONDITIONS OF PDE: TYPES OF COOPERATION

1. The action must be morally good, or

indifferent, as to object, motive and
circumstances.
2. The bad effect(s) may only be tolerated, not
directly willed.
3. The good effect must be caused at least as
directly as the bad.
4. The good effect(s) must be proportionate to
compensate for the bad effect(s).
EXAMPLE:
+ May Nanay na buntis. Ngayon her life is 50/50 and the
child, kahit anong gawin mo, there’s no chance of it to
survive na. Ngayon, it is a need to abort the baby. What
will you do?
+ May nagattempt to kill you, then you used self
defense. Morally right or no?
+ Election Period. Yung isang candidate has no stand
regarding a particular issue kunware drug on war. But
then wala naman siyang ibang bad records, parang yon
lang kasi wala nga siyang stand. You voted for him dahil
Maganda rin records niya.
+ Taga-vaccine ka. But then nagkulang kayo sa
gagamitin na Needle and Syringe. Eh you needed to
inject the vaccine sana sa isang patient. Ri-ne-use mo
yung needle and syringe.
FORMAL COOPERATION
 Identification of the purpose
 DIRECT INTENT OF DOING WRONG
 It means aware lahat ng Parties regarding sa
nature ng Action
MATERIAL COOPERATION
 You cooperated in the act but not in the purpose.
Indirectly intend the evil action
 It Means Aware Ka Na The Action Is Bad But
You Don’t Sadya To Do It And Do Not Agree Sa
Means Or Purpose.
o Immediate- cooperates in an evil act by
performing something that is essential
for the performance of the evil action
(Ex: You drive a car kasi may holdapper
na nakatutok ang gun niya sa ulo mo.
Gagamitin ka niya as bait or assistance
niya in another crime)
o if one cooperates in an accidental or
nonessential manner in the evil action.
DI SINASADIYA (Nagbigay ka ng pera
sa pulubi na pang-smoke niya lang)
CRITERIA:
 Every cooperation which directly influences the
evil intention of the person with whom one
cooperates, is always illicit.
 Formal cooperation is always illicit.
 Simple material cooperation is also illicit. One
must not help anyone to do evil. You always
have a choice

APPLICATION IN MEDICAL FIELD

AUTONOMY:
 Recognizing patients as individuals entitled to
basic human rights.
 Involves the right to know, privacy, and the right
to receive treatment.
  Ability of a person to make decisions without  Necessary information required for medical
interference. protocols.
 No therapy without free and informed consent or
PATERNALISM: guardian acting for the patient's benefit.
 Deliberate restriction of autonomy by healthcare  Lasts for 24 hours; another consent needed if
professionals. there's a delay.
 Based on the belief that professionals know
what's best for the clients. ASSENT:
 Can be justifiable at times, prioritizing doing  Expression of approval or agreement.
good over autonomy.
 Applies in children; example: giving vaccines.
 Example: Intervention in a patient's hunger strike
by providing IV fluids.
ELEMENTS OF INFORMED CONSENT:
1. Disclosure - openness without reservations.
2. Understanding - feedback is essential.
INFORMATION FOR PATIENTS: 3. Voluntariness - without force.
 Diagnosis 4. Competence.
 Prognosis 5. Consent.
 Treatment
 Affordability CONSENT:
 Exhaust vertical line before lateral.
 In emergencies, the doctor can decide if no
ESSENTIAL ELEMENTS: relatives are around.
1. Physician-patient relationship governed by a
moral contract.
2. Doctor promises treatment according to best
judgment.
3. Full patient information; deference to accept or
reject proposed plans.
4. Proxy consent for incompetent patients (mentally
ill, under 18, comatose).
5. Autonomy is not absolute.
6. Patient's autonomy respected unless actions
constitute an evil act.

GIVES PROXY CONSENT:

 Power of attorney, advance directives.
 Closest of kin: spouse, children, parents,
grandparents, siblings, uncles/aunts.

NO PROXY PRESENT:
 Doctor decides in matters of life and death.
 Doctor can act as loco parentis. (in the place of
a parent)
 Court can also decide.

PRINCIPLE OF INFORMED CONSENT:

 Patient's right to make decisions for their health.

PRINCIPLE OF THE COMMON GOOD AND
SUBSIDIARITY
THE COMMON GOOD
 According to its primary and broadly
accepted sense, the common
good indicates ‘the sum total of social
conditions which allow people, either as
groups or as individuals, to reach their
fulfilment more fully and more easily.’
(Compendium 164)
 sum total of social
conditions which allow people
to reach their
fulfillment.
 A Result, Not A Principle
 Not An End In Itself: The
common good is not an end in itself; it
is never sought “for its own sake, but
for the people who belong to the
social community and who can only
really and effectively pursue their
good within it”. (POPE BENEDICT XVI,
7)
COMPONENTS OF THE COMMON GOOD
 “Respect for the person, as such”.
(Catechism of the Catholic Church, 1907) The
Church goes on to cite the obligation for public
authorities to respect fundamental and
inalienable rights.
 The “social well-being and development of
the group”. (Catechism of the Catholic Church,
1908) The Church goes on to call ‘development’
the epitome of all social duties and insists public
authorities “arbitrate…between various particular
interests” to attain it.
 Peace (Catechism of the Catholic Church, 1909)
The Church notes the proper responsibility of
public authorities to ensure the security of
society, through morally acceptable means.
EXAMPLE
 Hospitals provide emergency medical care to anyone
in need, regardless of their socioeconomic status,
ethnicity, or background. This ensures that everyone
has access to critical healthcare services in times of
urgent medical situations.
 Hospitals often engage in community outreach
programs and public health initiatives to promote
preventive care. This can include vaccination drives,
health education programs, and screenings aimed at
improving the overall health of the community.
 Hospitals actively engage in efforts to control and
prevent the spread of infectious diseases. This
involves implementing measures such as isolation
protocols, vaccinations, and public health campaigns
to protect the wider community from health threats.
SUBSIDIARITY
 Grounded on Love
 indicated as a most important principle of "social
philosophy"
 A well-ordered society includes institutions both
large and small working together for the public good.
 all societies of a superior order must adopt
attitudes of help ("subsidium") -
therefore of support, promotion, development - with
respect to lower-order societies
CONCRETE INDICATIONS
1. protects people
The principle of subsidiarity
from abuses by higher-level social authority
and calls on these same authorities to help
individuals and intermediate groups to fulfil their
duties.
2. The principle of subsidiarity is opposed to
certain forms of centralization,
bureaucratization, and welfare assistance
and to the unjustified and excessive
presence of the State in public mechanisms.
3. To be put into practice there is a corresponding need
respect and effective promotion of the
for:
human person and the family
EXAMPLES:
 A group of neighboring municipalities collaborates to
address environmental concerns like air or water
pollution, tailoring regulations to the unique
challenges faced in their shared geographical area.
 Local health departments address public health
concerns and implement preventive programs tailored
to the needs of their community, seeking higher-level
intervention only in the case of widespread epidemics.
 Each hospital department manages its budget and
resources based on the specific needs and demands
of its area of expertise. Higher-level administrators
intervene to allocate additional resources or address
hospital-wide financial challenges.