NCM 108:

HEALTHCARE ETHICS
 ETHICS Defined

▪Derived from Greek word ethos, which means

“custom” or “ a characteristics ” or habitual
way of doing things “action” that is properly
derived from one’s character.
 ETHICS Defined

▪As the philosophical ( normative and theoretical)

science that deals with the morality of human
conduct.
▪Study of human conduct or actions from a moral
perspective as to whether they are good or bad;
▪Employs faculty of human reasoning – Ciabal, 2003
ETHICS Defined
As a practical science
• Deals with a systematized body of knowledge that can be used,
practiced and applied to human action.

• Considers the usefulness, practicality and application of human

knowledge to one’s experience, as distinguished from theoretical
knowledge, which is simply interested in truth for its own sake,
without any bearing on action and experience
As a normative science
• Establishes norms or standards for the direction and
regulation of human actions.
As based on reason
• Investigates the facts, analyzes them and draws out practical
applications to particular actions.
• Does not subscribe or rely on “divine revelation” for final
answers or resolutions of certain moral issues.
 Objectives of Ethics

1. make clear to us why one act is better than the other;

2. enable us to live and have an orderly social way of life;
Appraise, criticize and evaluate intelligently the moral conduct and
ethical system;

Explore and aspire to the true value of life

Paunil-Ciabal, 2003
 Where is ethics associated?

• Customs – long established practices common to a community

• Habit – repetition of the same action by an individual that
becomes a natural tendency to perform it
• Practice – applies to a regularly followed procedure or patterns
in conducting activities
• Etiquette – observance of social norms as required by good
breeding.
 Professional Ethics defined

• Branch of moral science concerned with the obligations

which a member of a profession owes to the public, to his
profession, and to his clients.
 ETHICS

METAETHICS NORMATIVE
APPLIED ETHICS
ETHICS
Ethical Theories
Practice makes perfect

VIRTUE
ETHICS