Question

1. What does it mean to be an ethical person? In what ways can we evaluate our own moral actions and the actions of others? In your response discuss moral theory (e.g. principles of medical ethics, meta ethical systems like deontology, utilitarianism, or virtue ethics).

Answer 1

Pertaining to or dealing with morals or the principles of morality; pertaining to right and wrong in conduct. being in accordance with the rules or standards for right conduct or practice, especially the standards of a profession.

We need to be ethical because it defines who we are individually and as a society. These are norms of behavior that everyone should follow. ... However, an ethical person must be willing – at least sometimes – to place the interests of others ahead of self-interest, because of our responsibility to a civil society.

Moral evaluations are like all the other evaluations we make - they can be reasonable, well-supported, and based on requirements that most of us share and understand. They are rationally debatable, and the debates can refer to objective characteristics of people and their choices.

To know if something complex is moral, we need to know not only the action but the cause, the mind-set of the person taking the action, and the intended effect. Moral knowledge can be derived from measuring the impressions a person has about an action, and investigating the thinking of the person who made the action.

Moral principles commonly used in discussions on ethical issues in nursing and health care include the principles of autonomy, non-maleficence, beneficence and justice. It is to examining the content, prescriptive force and application of these principles that this discussion now turns.

The major principles of medical ethics:

• Principle of respect for autonomy,
• Principle of nonmaleficence,
• Principle of beneficence, and.
• Principle of justice.

Deontological ethics is an ethics system that judges whether an action is right or wrong based on a moral code. Consequences of those actions are not taken into consideration.

utilitarian ethics state that a course of action should be taken by considering the most positive outcome.

Virtue ethics mainly deals with the honesty and morality of a person. It states that practicing good habits such as honesty, generosity makes a moral and virtuous person. It guides a person without specific rules for resolving the ethical complexity.