Principles of Medical Ethics
salzari
4.values_1.pptxValues
Financial (Money)
Etiquette (Culture)
Aesthetic (Beauty)
Epistemic (Truth)
Moral (Ethics)
Health
Value Judgments
Statements that *assert the value* of some object or action.
Statements of *norms in prescriptive* sense.
Judgments vs. mere opinions
Judgments rely on logic.
Judgments rely on principles.
Judgments provide *reasons* for opinions.
Good judgments are *justified* on the basis of logic and sound principles.
Value Judgments in Medicine
Value terms
Right
Better
Ought
Some value judgments in medicine may rely on values other than moral values.
What other values may be in play in medical decisions?
What Is the Source of Values?
They are objective.
There is a set of values that is independent of human preference.
People differ in their opinions but some people are just wrong about the correct set of values.
They are subjective.
Values vary from person to person and from society to society.
It is a matter of personal decision which values one will adopt.
Ethical Evaluation
The judgment must be about a human action or character or about norms governing human actions.
It must be made according to the most ultimate standard.
It must be based on a universal authority.
References
Veatch, R. M., A. M. Haddad and D. C. English. (2015). Case Studies in Biomedical Ethics. Oxford University Press. Chapter 2: Values in Health and Illness (pp. 29 - 44)
