Question

After Reading Heintzelman’s summary of the Tuskegee Syphilis Study, explain why Kant or any deontologist would be ethically opposed to it, viz., explain how a deontologist would critique the study by using the categorical imperative

Answer 1

The catogirical imperative according to kant are

1. Treat the fellow beings as ends in themselves and not as instruments or for your own purpose
2. The capacity of every human to be universally legislating will is what constitutes the principle of autonomy and will

kant or other deontologist have opposed this because

• The study have violated the basic bioethical principles of respect for autonomy as there were no proper consent taken.
• Non maleficience- participants were harmed
• Injustice- only African American women race were selected for study