MIDTERM EXAM

NAME: Sunjiya Siddiqua

ID: 1631152030
Section: 2
Course: PHI104
 Short Questions

1. What is deontology?
2. What is utilitarianism?
3. What is medical ethics?
4. What is virtue ethics?

2 no questions answer
Deontology: Deontology comes from two Greek words “Deon” which means “Duty” and “Study
Logos” which means “Science of”. So deontology is known as “the science of duty”.
The moral worth of an activity, according to deontology systems, is determined by our
compliance with obligations and laws rather than the results of our actions.
The significance of purpose and motive. Example: Kant's categorical imperatives-based
deontology theory, (commands that must be obeyed).
Deontology refers to the inherent worth of rules.
Other reasons were not taken into account when determining whether or not an activity was
moral. For example, a restaurant owner who treats his clients with respect not just because it is
his moral obligation, but also because he wants to attract more customers.
Deontology example: If a terminally sick patient asks whether they'll be okay following a
procedure they're unlikely to survive, a deontological approach would imply that you don't lie to
reassure them. That's because, according to this theory, lying isn't ethically acceptable since it's
our responsibility to tell the truth - no matter what the consequences are.
3 no questions answer
Utilitarianism: Utilitarianism is the most well-known consequential theory, according to which
the ideal behaviors are those that maximize the enjoyment of sentient beings (begins that can
think, reason, feel, experience). The only impacts of activities that are meaningful are the
positive and negative outcomes that they cause. Act utilitarianism is concerned with the
consequences of individual actions (such as John Wilkes Booth's assassination of Abraham
Lincoln), whereas rule utilitarianism is concerned with the consequences of groups of activities
(such as killing or stealing).
Utilitarian’s think that the goal of morality is to improve people's lives by increasing the quantity
of pleasant things (such pleasure and happiness) and lowering the amount of negative things in
the world (such as pain and unhappiness).
Individuals who are deciding what to do for themselves only consider their own utility when
making decisions. For example: If you're buying chocolate for yourself, the utilitarian
perspective is that you should get the flavor that gives you the greatest pleasure.
Utilitarianism example: Suppose you have a lump sum of money to spend on either a very
expensive treatment for one patient with a rare disease or five patients with a very common and
easy-to-treat disease. According to utilitarian ethics, treating the five patients is ethically
preferable since the aggregate benefit is larger.
4 no questions answer
Medical ethics: Medical ethics is the code of conduct that all doctors must follow. It is important
for doctors to follow since it serves as a guide for making clinical judgments. Medical ethics is
an interdisciplinary body of knowledge that informs the medical profession and its allies in terms
of ethical, moral, and value considerations. It serves as a guide for medical decision-making,
practice, teaching, and research.
5 no questions answer
Virtue ethics is a wide word encompassing ideas in moral philosophy that place a greater
emphasis on character and virtue than on fulfilling one's duty or acting in order to achieve
positive outcomes. “Act as a good person would act in your position," a virtue ethicist could
advise.
The fundamental focus of virtue ethics is on a person's honesty and morality. It claims that a
moral and virtuous person is one who practices positive behaviors such as honesty and charity. It
assists a person in resolving ethical ambiguity without the need of particular rules.
Most virtue ethics theories take their inspiration from Aristotle who declared that a virtuous
person is someone who has ideal character traits. These traits derive from natural internal
tendencies, but need to be nurtured; however, once established, they will become stable.
A virtuous person is someone who is nice in a variety of settings throughout their lives because it
is in their character, not because they seek to maximize utility, obtain favors, or just fulfill their
obligations.
Example: Blood vessel bleeding in an acute duodenal ulcer causes a competent adult patient to
lose a large volume of blood. An immediate blood transfusion, as well as surgical surgery to stop
the bleeding, are his greatest chances of survival.
The patient declines blood and instead requests treatment with the finest non-blood items
available, as well as surgery, despite the significant risk that surgery without blood transfusion
will save his life far less than surgery with blood transfusion.
Big Questions

1. Explain three different ethical positions about abortion.

2. Explain with examples Aristotle’s virtue ethics mentioning to his doctrine of mean.

1 no questions answer
Abortion has sparked a lot of ethical debate from both pro-life and pro-choice advocates. The
moral condition of the embryo and fetus is the key philosophical topic. If the fetus is a person
with the same right to life as any other human being born, it would appear that very few, if
any, abortions could be justified, because killing children because they are undesired,
illegitimate, or handicapped is not ethically permitted. There are three factions of public
opinion on abortion: conservative, liberal, and moderate (or gradualist), each of which
focuses on science and ethical reasoning.

Now I am going to explain three different ethical positions about abortion:

From the moment of implantation (when a pregnancy begins) forward, Conservatives see
the fetus as a human being with the same rights as any other human being. Some
conservative groups, like as the Catholic Church, believe that the fetus is a human person
with full moral rights from conception onwards.
Because the embryo develops its own unique genetic code, different from that of its
mother or father, and hence from the egg or sperm, conception is considered significant.
The fetus develops drastically during pregnancy, but there is no point at which we can
declare, "Now we have a human being, when we didn't have one a day, a week, or a
month ago." Any attempt to pinpoint the start of humanity at a certain time whether it's
when brain waves arise, the human shape emerges, or the baby reaches quickening,
sentience, or viability is doomed to fail since all of these phases will occur if the fetus is
allowed to develop normally.
Most liberals recognize that the fetus is human in a biological sense, but reject that this
confers complete moral standing or a right to life on the fetus. In 1971, Judith Thomson
made a completely different pro-choice argument, stating that even if the unborn were
accorded personhood, this would not resolve the morality of abortion since the fetus'
right to live does not always imply a right to utilize the pregnant woman's body.
Thomson claims that no one has the right to use your body unless you give him
permission, even if he need it for survival. The pregnant mother has not granted the fetus
the right to use her body, at least not in the instance of rape.

2 no questions answer

Explaining with examples Aristotle’s virtue ethics mentioning to his doctrine of mean:

He stated that Eudaimonia is what we want. Eudaimonia is a Greek word that

means "well-being" or "excellence in executing a certain duty."

Aristotle isn't searching for a list of useful goods. For example: He assumes that
such a list is simple to compile; most people would agree, that having friends,
experiencing pleasure, being healthy, being honored, and having virtues like
courage, at least to some degree, are all desirable.