Final Exam: Short Answer Flashcards
(12 cards)
Explain how paternalism relates to beneficence and autonomy in bioethics
Paternalism is when a caregiver makes decisions for a patient that they believe are in their best interest, regardless of the patient’s own wishes. While paternalism does relate to beneficence due to it being an act that promotes the well-being of a patient, but conflicts with autonomy as it does take that away from the patient.
What is the difference between active and passive euthanasia?
Active euthanasia is the direct interference with a patient’s death, ex: lethal injection. Passive euthanasia is indirect and usually consists of withdrawing life saving treatement ex: removing someone from life support.
Explain how the doctrine of double effect could be applied in thinking about abortion.
Treatment for ectopic pregnancies can be considered morally permissible (medically necessary, intended to save the mother’s life – results in removing harm, protects the mother’s life). Direct abortion is not morally permissible because the bad effect is intended.
What is the difference between therapy and enhancement?
Therapy consists of treatment designed to cure a disease or disorder and restore health to its original function. Enhancement is meant to improve or reconfigure human abilities that give them an advantage.
What is the difference between bio-conservativism and transhumanism?
Bio-conservatism is skeptical of biomedical interventions that are meant to enhance or alter nature human abilities. Transhumanism advocates for human enhancement treatments ex: smart drugs, gene editing, genetic engineering)
Explain the idea of procreative beneficence and the worry about velvet eugenics.
Procreative beneficence emphasizes that parents have a moral duty to pick the most viable embryo that has the higher likelihood of having a healthy life. This causes worry of velvet eugenics because it can cause bias towards certain traits, give wealthier families an advantage, and encourage societal pressure to select certain traits.
Explain the debate between Carole Pateman and Jessica Flanigan.
Pateman argues that markets for sex and reproduction are not morally permissible and exploit vulnerable individuals. Flanigan argues that people have full control/rights over their body and these transactions are morally permissible as long as they are consented upon.
Explain the debate between John Finnis and John Corvino.
Finnis argues from a natural law perspective, believing that same-sex relationships are morally wrong because they go against human sexuality, which is to procreate and to establish a union between man and woman. Corvino, however, argues that love and commitment are not established for procreation, and that procreative sex neglects infertile heterosexual marriages)
Is economic justice supererogatory or not (pick a theory of social justice to explain your thinking)?
I do think that economic justice is supererogatory based on Nozick’s libertarian theory. Although achieving economic justice through charity or redistribution of wealth is admirable, I do not think that it is an obligation, as I think part of the deal with making your own money means you should be able to spend it how you please.
Explain the difference between “Modern Liberal: (Rawls) and “Libertarian” (Nozick)
views of distributive justice
Rawls argues that economic justice is a moral obligation with a high emphasis on the redistribution of wealth. Nozick rejects redistribution, stating that respecting individuals’ earned wealth is economic jusice.
Explain the debate between Peter Singer and Garrett Hardin.
Singer has a utilitarian view on global justice, claiming that individuals have a moral obligation to assist those in poverty. Hardin argues that there are limits to charity and that our moral duty to provide aid must be in balance and evenly distributed.
How are concerns about colonialism linked to questions of global justice?
With global justice comes the risk of colonialism, because there is a fine line between providing aid/assistance without changing the structure of a society at the same time.
