Everyday humans face ethical dilemmas; with each of these situations we must make moral choices. It is often difficult to confront ethical dilemmas and moral choices as they tend to unearth the rawest of our human emotions. This paper will discuss the ethical dilemmas brought on by the case of Jonathon, a 22-year-old male quadriplegic, diagnosed as a diabetic during childhood ("Quality of life case study - Session #1," n.d., para. 1). This case study raises many ethical issues; however this paper will focus on three. The main ethical dilemma questions both autonomy and competence: is Jonathon capable of making his own medical decisions? From there we must ask another vital question: should his family have a say in his treatment? Jonathon’s quality of life raises the third question: without medical intervention will he die? This paper will focus on two ethical perspectives that will be further discussed throughout the paper:
1) My perspective: a 30-year-old female nursing student, married, with children. My perspective on this case is based on moral decision-making.
2) Ethical egoism perspective: In which the moral choice of this case is based on self-interest (Rae, 2009, p. 67).
The personal story of an ethical case is often a driving factor behind our moral choices; causing each individual to look internally at their own values and virtues. Jonathon’s case is no different, the story behind the case is essential to understanding the choices made:
While at a fraternity party 18 months ago, Jonathon fell head first from a balcony; leaving him quadriplegic below the neck, ventilator dependent, and in need of assistance for basic functions. He sees himself as a burden and feels ashamed that his foolish behavior has created such...
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...y personally agree with the choices that he has made and that the ethical egoist may not; these are not ours to make. What is important for us to understand is where we as humans stand on the ethical and moral dilemmas that we face.
Works Cited
Family Caregiver Alliance. (2000). End-of-Life Decision-Making. Retrieved from http://www.caregiver.org/caregiver/jsp/content_node.jsp?nodeid=401
Quality of life case study - Session #1 (Unpublished master's thesis). Colorado Christian University. (2011). Retrieved from http://docsharing.next.ecollege.com/(NEXT(01102dfc4f))/Main/CourseMode/DocSharing/ListCategoriesAndFilesView.ed#
Rae, S. B. (2009). Moral choices: an introduction to ethics. Grand Rapids, MI: Zondervan.
Spinal cord Injury Resource Center. (n.d.). Spinal cord injury: Spinal cord 101. Retrieved from http://www.spinalinjury.net/html/_spinal_cord_101.html
This ethical scenario presents an 86 year old female with numerous health issues and chronic illnesses. Mrs. Boswell’s advancing Alzheimer’s disease makes it extremely difficult to initiate dialysis, leading her physician to conclude a poor quality of life. The ethical dilemma portrayed in this case is between nonmaleficence and autonomy. Health care workers should focus on promoting the patient’s overall wellbeing and weigh the benefits and risks of the course of action, while also considering what the family declares they want done. Since the patient is deemed unable to make decisions, the goal is to collaborate with family, assess patient quality of life, address prognosis, and establish realistic care goals.
Nye, Howard. PHIL 250 B1, Winter Term 2014 Lecture Notes – Ethics. University of Alberta.
Adam Smith’s moral theory explains that there is an “impartial spectator” inside each of us that aids in determining what is morally and universally good, using our personal experiences and human commonalities. In order to judge our own actions, we judge and observe the actions of others, at the same time observing their judgments of us. Our impartial spectator efficiently allows us to take on two perceptions at once: one is our own, determined by self-interest, and the other is an imaginary observer. This paper will analyze the impartiality of the impartial spectator, by analyzing how humans are motivated by self-interest.
Principles of Biomedical Ethics, by Tom Beauchamp and James F. Childress, has for many critics in medical ethics exemplified the worse sins of "principlism." From its first edition, the authors have argued for the importance and usefulness of general principles for justifying ethical judgments about policies and cases in medical ethics. The organization of their book reflects this conviction, dividing discussion of particular ethical problems under the rubrics of the key ethical principles which the authors believe should govern our moral judgments: principles of autonomy, nonmaleficence, beneficence and justice.
Overvold, Mark C. "Morality, Self-Interest, and Reasons for Being Moral." Philosophy and Phenomenological Research 44.4 (1984): 493-507. JSTOR. Web. 6 Mar. 2014.
The ethical principles that most pertain to John’s situation are those of autonomy and beneficence. John deserves respect to his autonomy and his health care providers should consider beneficence in all of their interventions.
Philosophy has been a field of study for centuries. Some philosophers have developed ways to determine what is ethical and what is not. This has led to several normative ethical theories describing how people are ought to live a moral life. Some of the most prominent of these theories have set the criteria for morality in very unique and peculiar ways. Two of which are the ethical egoistic theory and the utilitarian theory, each seeing morality in its own distinctive way. By comparing and contrasting the view these theories pose on morality and by analyze how each stands in some of the world’s most modern day issues, one can understand why utilitarianism is a
Ethical Egoism A rear assumption is that the needs and happiness of other people will always affect our moral ethics. If we accept this assumption, we think that our moral ethics balance our self-interest against that of others. It is true, that “What is morally right or wrong depends not only on how it makes us feel, but also how it affects others”. The idea that each person ought to pursue his or her own self-interest exclusively to do in his lifetime for others is known as Ethical Egoism.
An advanced practice nurse (APN), will be faced with different types of ethical-legal dilemmas that in most cases will require the APN to make urgent decisions that will include both moral and ethical attention. Ethical dilemmas are conditions that have to scenarios course of actions to take that will contradict each other (Westrick, 2014, pp 258-265). The APN will have to choose between the two urgent decisions because each of these choices is deemed to be equally right and urgent. This is the reason that makes dealing with ethical-dilemmas very stressful for the APN and other experienced caregivers involved. It is very noteworthy that an APN has many medical responsibilities to provide care, and are also in the position to make urgent medical decisions that is independent because of being the person in authority at that time. Many of the existing ethical dilemmas will fall in with a variety of treatment withdrawal vs maintenance, the quality of life vs the quantity of life, euthanasia vs non-euthanasia, and pro-choice vs pro-life (Westrick, 2014b, pp.77-83).
Ethical framework bridges in the gaps of life-threatening signs and health care, inhibits a person...
In critical and complicating medical cases, family members often find it tedious to decide as to what mode or procedure of treatment is idyllic for the recovery of their patient. In such cases, well-qualified and medically educated can play a pivotal role in deciding the kind of treatment that should be given to the patient to enhance its recovery. In a contrary situation a nurse may know that administering a particular drug may improve the patient’s condition, but may be refrained from conducting the required action due to doctor’s absence or non-permission. There are numerous cases through which ethical dilemmas in the profession of nursing can be discussed. Nurses in order to remain within the defined boundaries ...
Autonomy is a concept found in moral, political, and bioethical reasoning. Inside these connections, it is the limit of a sound individual to make an educated, unpressured decision. Patient autonomy can conflict with clinician autonomy and, in such a clash of values, it is not obvious which should prevail. (Lantos, Matlock & Wendler, 2011). In order to gain informed consent, a patient
Egoism is a teleological theory of ethics that sets the ultimate criterion of morality in some nonmoral value (i.e. happiness or welfare) that results from acts (Pojman 276). It is contrasted with altruism, which is the view that one's actions ought to further the interests or good of other people, ideally to the exclusion of one's own interests (Pojman 272). This essay will explain the relation between psychological egoism and ethical egoism. It will examine how someone who believes in psychological egoism explains the apparent instances of altruism. And it will discuss some arguments in favor of universal ethical egoism, and exam Pojman's critque of arguments for and against universal ethical egoism.
Another huge ethical topic is the patient’s right to choose autonomy in the refusal of life-saving medicine or treatment. This issue affects a nurse’s standards of care and code of ethics. “The nurse owes the patient a duty of care and must act in accordance with this duty at all times, by respecting and supporting the patient’s right to accept or decline treatment” (Volinsky). In order for a patient to be able make these types of decisions they must first be deemed competent. While the choice of patient’s to refuse life-saving treatment may go against nursing ethical codes and beliefs to attempt and coerce them to get treatment is trespass and would conclude in legal action. “….then refusal of these interventions may be regarded as inappropriate, but in the case of a patient with capacity, the patient must have the ultimate authority to decide” (Volinsky). While my values of the worth of life and importance of action may be different than others, as a nurse I have to learn to set that aside and follow all codes of ethics whether I have a dilemma with them or not. Sometimes with ethics there is no right or wrong, but as a nurse we have to figure out where to draw the line in some cases.
In this assignment we will be identifying an ethical dilemma an individual has experienced. We will begin with a short introduction of what an ethical dilemma is, moving on to providing brief details of the dilemma an individual has experienced. We will then go on to selecting one ethical theory, to show how it can help an individual understand and deal with the situation when placed within, followed by a conclusion.