BASIC ETHICAL PRINCIPLES

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 BASIC ETHICAL PRINCIPLES

1. Stewardship
2. Totality
3. Double Effect
4. Cooperation
5. Solidarity

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 1. Stewardship

the principle of stewardship includes but is not reducible to

•concern for scarce resources

•responsibility to see that the mission of health care is

carried out as a ministry with its particular commitment to
human dignity and the common good

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 Totality
dictate that the well-being of the whole person must be taken
into account in deciding about any therapeutic intervention or
use of technology.
“integrity"
refers to each individual’s duty to "preserve a view of
the whole human person in which the values of the intellect, will,
conscience, and fraternity are pre-eminent

refers to the duty to preserve intact the physical component of

the integrated bodily and spiritual nature of human life,

every part of the human body "exists for the sake of the whole as
the imperfect for the sake of the perfect".
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 3. Double Effect

An action that is good in itself that has two effects--an intended

and otherwise not reasonably attainable good effect, and
an unintended yet foreseen evil effect--is licit,

there is a due proportion between the intended good and the

permitted evil

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 four basic moral criteria
1.The object of the act must not be intrinsically contradictory to
one's fundamental commitment to God and neighbor

2.The direct intention of the agent must be to achieve the

beneficial effects and to avoid the foreseen harmful effects as far
as possible, that is, one must only indirectly intend the harm;
3.The foreseen beneficial effects must not be achieved by the
means of the foreseen harmful effects, and no other means of
achieving those effects are available

4.The foreseen beneficial effects must be equal to or greater than

the foreseen harmful effects (the proportionate judgment);
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 4. Cooperation

a way of helping individuals discern how to properly

avoid, limit, or distance themselves from
evil(especially intrinsic evil)

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 principles of cooperation

1.Formal Cooperation.
2.Immediate Material Cooperation.
3.Mediate Material Cooperation.

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 4. Cooperation

1.Formal Cooperation.

occurs when a person or organization freely

participates in the action(s) of a principal agent,
or shares in the agent’s intention, either for its own
sake or as a means to some other goal.

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 4. Cooperation

2.Immediate Material Cooperation

occurs when the cooperator participates in

circumstances that are essential to the commission of
an act, such that the act could not occur without this
participation.

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 4. Cooperation

3.Mediate Material Cooperation

occurs when the cooperator participates in

circumstances that are not essential to
the commission of an action, such that the action
could occur even without this cooperation.

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 Mediate material cooperation in an immoral act might be
justifiable under three basic conditions:

a. If there is a proportionately serious reason for the

cooperation (i.e., for the sake of protecting an important
good or for avoiding a worse harm); the graver the evil the
more serious a reason required for the cooperation
b.The importance of the reason for cooperation must be
proportionate to the causal proximity of the cooperator’s
action to the action of the principal agent (the distinction
between proximate and remote);

c.The danger of scandal (i.e., leading others into doing evil,

leading others into error, or spreading confusion) must be
avoided.
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 5. Solidarity
The principle of solidarity invites us to consider how we
relate to each other in community.

we recognize that we are a part of at least one family -

our biological family, our local community, or our national
community

Solidarity requires us to consider this kind of

extended community, and to act in such a way that reflects
concern for the well-being of others.

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 MAJOR BIOETHICAL
PRINCIPLES

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 The commonly accepted principles of
health care ethics include:
Principle of respect for
1. autonomy
2. Principle of non maleficence
3. Principle of beneficence
4. Principle of justice

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 Respect for Autonomy

Any notion of moral decision making assumes that rational

agents are involved in making informed and voluntary decisions

the patient has the capacity to act intentionally, with

understanding, and without controlling influences that would
mitigate against a free and voluntary act. This principle is the
basis for the practice of "informed consent"

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 The Principle of Nonmaleficence

nonmaleficence requires of us that we not intentionally create

a needless harm or injury to the patient, either through acts of
commission or omission.

we consider it negligence if one imposes a careless or

unreasonable risk of harm upon another

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 The legal criteria for determining
negligence are as follows
1.the professional must have a duty to the affected party

2.the professional must breach that duty

3.the affected party must experience a harm

4.the harm must be caused by the breach of duty

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 Do no harm. Includes

Deliberate harm - - always impermissible

Risk of harm - - what degree of risk is permissible?

Harm that occurs during performance of beneficial acts.

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 The Principle of Beneficence

duty of health care providers to be of a benefit to

the patient, as well as to take positive steps to
prevent and to remove harm from the patient

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 The Principle of Justice

form of fairness, or as Aristotle once said,

"Giving to each that which is his due."

the fair distribution of goods in society and requires that we look

at the role of entitlement.

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 factors as criteria for distributive
justice
1.to each person an equal share

2.to each person according to need

3.to each person according to effort

4.to each person according to contribution

5.to each person according to merit

6.to each person according to free-market exchanges

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 One of the most controversial
issues in modern health care is
the question pertaining to
"who has the right to health
care?"

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The duty to give to the other what
that person is due or owed what
he/she deserves or can legitimately
claim. Involves rights or claims that
must be balanced against each
other
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