Bio Ethics Phi 324

PHI 324 - Module 3 Guiding Assignment

Complete Steps 1 and 2 below. Refer to the Assignment Guidelines document in the Course Home menu for further information regarding critical thinking standards and grading.

Submit this assignment to the Dropbox no later than Sunday 11:59 PM EST/EDT. (This Dropbox basket is linked to Turnitin.)

Step 1: Answer all of the questions below.

1. What are some of the different ways we use language?

2. What is the value in medical ethics of the action/omission distinction? How may it cause confusion?

3. What concern does Devettere have with the withdrawal/withholding treatment distinction?

4. What is the relationship of the issue of paternalism and autonomy in health care ethics? Why is this relationship an important issue?

5. What is your understanding of the “principle of the double effect,” and how does it relate to the distinction between immoral and intrinsically immoral?

6. What was the position of Aquinas on the notion of intrinsically evil acts?

7. How would you describe the position of Kant on intrinsically evil acts?

8. What is Devettere’s position on deontological ethical theories of ethical decision making?

9. Name the distinctions which Devettere thinks helpful in moral reasoning. Which do you think is most important and why?

10. Relying on Chapter 3 of A Primer for Health Care Ethics, define the concepts, “Terminal Illness,” “Quality of Life,” and “Active and Passive Euthanasia.” Why is a nuanced and clear understanding of these terms essential to responding to the case of Larry McAfee, the young quadriplegic man from Georgia who was introduced in the “Perspective” slide introducing this module?

Step 2: After answering the questions, conclude with the following process:

1. Summarize the main points made in the reading or readings as concisely, but as completely, as you can. What went on in these texts (whether in print or online)? Feel free to provide brief illustrative quotations from the texts (with page numbers in parentheses after the quotations) to help make your point. Where there are many readings assigned, their main points generally overlap; therefore, do your best to succinctly present what’s most crucial.

2. State what you thought was most interesting about what you read. Your aim should be to personalize (that is, say what these readings taught you, what you found interesting or of value), rather than to summarize (as you did in the first part). Use phrases like the following: “From these readings, I learned...” or “I didn’t used to understand...but now I do because...,” or “What I found interesting was...,” and so on.