Lesson 2

• Moral Philosophy

  • The branch of philosophy that contemplates what is right and wrong
• Moral Principles

  • Guidelines that people live by to make sure they are doing the right thing. These include things like honesty, fairness, and equality.
• Ethics

  • Is the practical application of moral philosophy; that is, given the moral context of good or bad, right or wrong, “What should I do in this situation?
• Deontology

  • Rationalist view that the rightness or wrongness of an act depends upon the nature of the act rather than the consequences that occur as a result of it
• Deontology

  • Greek work of duty
  • Called Formalism
  • "Kantianism" (Immanuel Kant)
  • “Don't lie. Don’t kill. Don't steal. Don't cheat"
• Act only according to that maxim by which you can at the same time will that it should become a universal law.
• Deontology = Duty
• Most professional codes of ethics are based upon Kantian principles.
• Utilitarianism

  • Is an ethical theory that determines right from wrong by focusing on outcomes.
• Utilitarianism

  • It is a theory of morality that advocates actions that foster happiness or pleasure and oppose actions that cause unhappiness or harm.
• Utilitarianism is a pivotal form of moral philosophy for health care delivery.
• Utilitarianism = Consequetialism
• Consequentialist

  • moral theories evaluate the morality of actions in terms of progress toward a goal or end. The consequences of the action are what matter, not their intent.
  • This is in contrast to previously noted theories (e.g., deontology, virtue ethics, and natural law) that consider intent.
• Consequentialist Moral Theories

  • Evaluate the morality of actions in terms of progress toward a goal or end
• Consequentialist Moral Theories

  • The consequences of the action are what matter, not their Intent.
  • "greatest good for the greatest number of people."
• One difference, however, is consequentialism does not specify a desired outcome, while utilitarianism specifies good as the desired outcome.
• Western moralism emerged with the idea of the cardinal virtues of wisdom, courage, temperance, justice, generosity, faith, hope, and charity (Kitwood, 1990)
• Modern and contemporary writers also include such virtues as honesty, compassion, caring, responsibility, integrity, discernment, trustworthiness, and prudence.
• Nightingale was intrigued by Plato’s description of elite people with rare gifts who command many kinds of knowledge. The characteristics, or virtues, of these people resonated with Nightingale and were reflected in her writings throughout her life (Dossey, 2000).
• Nightingale believed that one of the aims of philosophy was to cultivate in gifted people their potential intellectual and moral qualities.
• Five Focal Virtues that are more pivotal than others:

  • Compassion
  • Discernment
  • Trustworthiness
  • Integrity
  • Conscientiousness
• The Nightingale Pledge, composed by Lystra Gretter In 1893 and traditionally recited by graduating nurses, implies virtue of character as nurses promise purity, faith, loyalty, devotion, trustworthiness, and temperance.
• If Aristotle was correct in his belief that virtue can be practiced and learned, then we can learn, through practice, those acts that, by their doing, create a virtuous person.
• Core Values of a Professional Nurse

  • Nursing is a caring profession.
  • Caring encompasses empathy for and connection with people.
  • Caring is best demonstrated by a nurse's ability to embody the five core values of professional nursing.
• Core Nursing Values

  • Human Dignity
  • Integrity
  • Autonomy
  • Altruism
  • Social Justice