Angel Benson
January 26th, 2022
HSCI705 Discussion 2: Basic Ethical Principles
Beneficience
Beneficence is important because%it ensures that healthcare professionals consider
individual circumstances and remember%that what is good for one patient may not necessarily be
great for another. Nonmaleficence and Beneficence are the cornerstones of morality and ethics
throughout history in different nations and cultures. Both the Old and the New Testament
enjoined doing good (beneficence) and avoiding harm (Nonmaleficence) The good Samaritan is
an example of beneficence. (Springer, 2015)
Deuteronomy 28:15-19
“But if you will not obey the voice of the%LORD%your God or be careful to do all his
commandments and his statutes that I command you today, then all these curses shall come upon
you and overtake you. Cursed shall you be in the city, and cursed shall you be in the field.
Cursed shall be your basket and your kneading bowl. Cursed shall be the fruit of your womb and
the fruit of your ground, the increase of your herds and the young of your flock. Cursed shall you
be when you come in and cursed shall you be when you go out. ...”
These verses show clear beneficence. The Israelites generally didn’t keep these
commandments and betrayed God, worshipped idols, did all the crimes they were told to avoid,
and disobeyed their prophets and killed many of them and when Jesus, the last Prophet who
came to them they called him a quack, a magician and accused his mother with adultery. Their
lack of beneficence could have spared many lives.
Respect for Person’s
Respect for persons is another important fundamental principle in research: It is the
recognition of a person as a%autonomous,%unique, and free%individual. It also means that we
recognize that each person has the%right and capacity%to make her or his own decisions.
Respecting a person ensures that%dignity is valued.
James 2: 9
“But if ye have respect to persons, ye commit sin, and are convinced of the law as transgressors.”
Individuals should be%empowered to make free decisions%and be given all the information
needed to make good decisions. To conduct a research project when some of the potential
participants do not have the right or the capacity to make a decision is a violation of research
ethics and basic human rights. (HHS, 2021)
Justice
The principle of justice in ethics, pertaining to research,may be defined as the ethical
obligation to distribute the benefits and burdens of research fairly. Researchers have an
obligation to ensure that the means used to select research participants are equitable. Researchers
must neither exploit the vulnerable, nor exclude without good reason those who stand to benefit
from study participation. In order for proposed eligibility criteria to be evaluated, each criterion
must be accompanied by a clear justification in the study protocol. The inclusion of a vulnerable
group (such as children, incapable adults, or prisoners) requires a clear justification to
demonstrate they are not being targeted merely as a matter of convenience. Biblical references to
the word “justice” mean%“to make right.” Justice is, first and foremost, a relational term.
Micah 6:8
“He has told you, O man, what is good; and what does the Lord require of you but to do
justice, and to love kindness, and to walk humbly with your God?”
Insofar as is possible and practicable, the study population ought to mirror the target
clinical population. The historical exclusion of children, women, and racial minorities from the
benefits of research has led to a variety of contemporary initiatives to promote their inclusion in
clinical research. (HHS, 2015) The principle of justice also requires that provisions be in place to
compensate research participants who are harmed as a result of research enrollment.
Sources:
1. Beneficence | springerlink. (n.d.). Retrieved January 27, 2022, from
https://link.springer.com/chapter/10.1007%2F978-3-319-18428-9_8
2. Office for Human Research Protections (OHRP). (2021, June 16). Read the Belmont Report.
HHS.gov. Retrieved January 16, 2022, from
https://www.hhs.gov/ohrp/regulations-and-policy/belmont-report/read-the-belmont-report/
index.html
3. King James Bible.%(2019). Christian Art Publishers. (Originally published 1769)
Tiffany thank you for sharing!
John 3:16-17
The beneficence ordered by Jesus was considered by his followers as supererogatory as
it can never be reached and practiced except by saints. However, Jesus gave a very good
example of beneficence that could be done by ordinary person. This is the parable of the Good
Samaritan (Luke 10/25-37). The Samaritans were considered nonbelievers by Jews. They had
their own temple in Mount Gerzim in Samaria and refused to go to Mount Temple in
Jerusalem. They only acknowledged the Torah and refused the other books of Old Testament.
They also refused the Talmud. None of God's beneficence in any way means He approves of the
conduct of sinful men, but rather it is a revelation of His nature that, despite men's wickedness,
He has benevolent feelings toward them. He earnestly desires their happiness and is sincerely
devoted to helping them make a success of life.
The Belmont Report states that “persons are treated in an ethical manner not only by
respecting their decisions and protecting them from harm, but also by making efforts to secure
their well-being.” Securing a research subject’s well-being falls under the principle of
beneficence. Beneficence, as described in the Belmont Report, obligates the investigator to
follow two general rules. The first is to “do no harm,” and the second is to “maximize possible
benefits and minimize possible harms.” The whole world lies in wickedness (I John 5:19), and
mankind is unable to extricate itself from it. Part of God's solution is to give a blessing, a gift, by
which all the sins of humanity can be met and paid. Think of how much good fruit will be
produced because of it! Can any kindness be greater than this? Absolutely not! But it does set a
clear standard and pattern of conduct for us to exemplify in our lives so we too can be seen as
children of God.
Sources
1. King James Bible.%(2019). Christian Art Publishers. (Originally published 1769)
2. Office for Human Research Protections (OHRP). (2021, June 16). Read the Belmont
Report. HHS.gov. Retrieved January 16, 2022, from
https://www.hhs.gov/ohrp/regulations-and-policy/belmont-report/read-the-belmont-
report/index.html
Shannon, I really enjoyed reading this!
The Belmont Report States, “Respect for persons incorporates at least two ethical
convictions: first, that individuals should be treated as autonomous agents, and second, that
persons with diminished autonomy are entitled to protection. The principle of respect for persons
thus divides into two separate moral requirements: the requirement to acknowledge autonomy
and the requirement to protect those with diminished autonomy.” (Belmont Report, 1979)
The apostle Peter summarizes the Bible’s teaching on respect in his first Epistle: “Show
proper respect to everyone: Love the brotherhood of believers, fear God, honor the king” (1 Peter
2:17). This passage encompasses four major areas of our lives, teaching us that, as followers of
Christ, we should respect all people, other Christians, God, and governmental authorities. The
word%respect%is a translation of the Greek word%timēsate, meaning “honor or value.” It literally
means “to place a great value or high price on something.” Interestingly, today we tend to place
our values on our personal rights and the equality of humanity. However, biblical respect is far
different, more about a perceived inequality in that we recognize that some things and some
people are more important than we (compare%Philippians 2:3). To respect everyone, believers
must be conscious that God has created all people in His image, regardless of whether they
believe in Christ. We should show them proper respect and honor because their souls are of more
value than all the wealth in the world (Luke 10:33–34;%1 Corinthians 10:33).
Sources
1. King James Bible.%(2019). Christian Art Publishers. (Originally published 1769)
2. Office for Human Research Protections (OHRP). (2021, June 16). Read the Belmont
Report. HHS.gov. Retrieved January 16, 2022, from
https://www.hhs.gov/ohrp/regulations-and-policy/belmont-report/read-the-belmont-
report/index.html
