UNIVERSITY OF LA SALETTE, INC.

Santiago City, Isabela, Philippines

NCM 108
HEALTH CARE ETHICS-BIOETHICS

ETHICS- equivalent to the Greek word “Ethicos”, which pertain to ethos

translated as “custom” or “character”. Custom is “mos” or “moris” in latin from
which morality is derived.
Ethics as a philosophical science dealing with morality of human conduct or
action.

Veatch (2007) presents four levels of ethical or moral discourse:

1. The level of the case

2. Rules and Rights or Code of Ethics
3. Normative Ethics
4. Metaethics

Case Approach or Casuistry

-begins with an issue or concrete moral question or dilemma that one faces
here-and-now, or two persons disagreeing on what in a specific situation is the
morally appropriate behavior.

Rules and Rights

-this level is resorted to if and when issues or cases are not resolved at the base
of first level. It is expedient at this point to move on to the second level, and
invoke existing rules and rights- claims or code of ethics, which are in force and
effect. These codes may describe or tell not only what is legal, but also what is
ethical.

Normative Ethics
-at this level, basic norms of behavior and character are discussed, rules and
right claims are defended, and norms of good moral character are
articulated.
-it involves 3 questions touching on ethical principle or action theory, intrinsic
good or value theory, and good character or virtue theory.
Action theory poses the question- What principles make actions morally right?
Value theory poses the question- What kinds of consequences are good or
intrinsically valuable?
Virtue theory poses the question- What kinds of character traits are morally
praiseworthy?

Metaethics
-tasks of analyzing the nature of moral judgment and theoretical systems fall
under this level (Mappes and De Grazia 2002)
-deals with the most basic questions of ethics: the meaning and justification of
ethical terms, how people know which principle, values, or virtues are the
correct ones, and ultimate grounding of ethics (Veatch 2007)

/edz08