ethics

• Ethics is the concept of interpreting morality
• Ethics raises questions about how we should behave and the choices we make in our lives
• Factors that affect how we find ethical answers include religions, intuitive feelings, cultural norms, laws and policies, professional codes of conduct, and coercion
• The academic discipline of ethics involves critical evaluation of ethical arguments to come to conclusions based on reason
• Ethics is the enterprise of disciplined reflection on moral intuitions and choices people make
• Consequentialism looks at whether an action is ethically right or wrong based on the consequences it produces
• Consequentialism suggests choosing the action with the best overall consequences when faced with two options
• Utilitarianism, a form of consequentialism, focuses on human happiness and prefers actions that lead to the greatest amount of human happiness
• Deontology holds that certain things are right or wrong regardless of consequences
• Deontological principles are absolute rights and fundamental principles that cannot be justified by consequences
• Virtue Ethics considers the moral character of the person performing the act, focusing on good moral intentions
• Bioethics investigates ethical issues in life sciences, covering medicine, healthcare, research, genetics, pharmacology, and biology
• Bioethical principles include autonomy, beneficence, non-maleficence, and justice
• Autonomy is the fundamental right to self-determination, allowing individuals to control their own lives and bodies
• Beneficence requires healthcare professionals to act in the best interest of their patients, achieving a greater good than harm
• Non-maleficence emphasizes the principle of 'doing no harm' in healthcare interventions
• Justice in bioethics focuses on equality and fairness, considering issues like equality of action and access to healthcare
• The relationship between law and bioethics impacts how healthcare is delivered and regulated
• Law and bioethics are not always aligned, as legality does not always equate to morality
• Ethics are part of professional practice to establish moral standards and expectations for practitioners
• Professional codes of conduct exist due to ethical and legal duties and responsibilities expected of practitioners
• Ethics in professional practice provide a moral standard for patients and staff to expect from practitioners