Category Archives: Morality and Ethics

Moral Reasoning in the Context of Physician Assisted Suicide (PAS)

Bioethics, Legal Philosophy, Social and Political Philosophy April 21, 2020 Leave a comment

A Statement of Values — Proponents versus Opponents

Collectively, the proponents of physician assisted suicide value personal autonomy and responsibility, the quality of life, and compassion towards others. Proponents of physician assisted suicide feel that by being allowed to choose between life and death as a personal and medical decision, patients are able to exercise personal autonomy, a freedom that they take to be fundamental to the nature of humanity. This autonomy ties directly into their perceptions about quality of life, in that some view life as undesirable or lackluster if they are not able to enjoy activities, events, and relationships that they previously did due to terminal or incurable medical conditions. They do not view life as inherently valuable and worth living, but derive life’s value from its pragmatic and functional elements. When the level and intensity of physical and mental suffering crosses a certain threshold, these proponents value the actions of those who will show compassion and act in accordance with their final wishes. Thus, proponents of physician assisted suicide feel obligated to protect the personal rights of patients as well as to ensure that they are being treated with compassion to alleviate their pain and suffering. Any events or legislation that interfere with those conditions are intolerable.

Continue reading →

2 Brief Yet Excellent Introductions to Meta-Ethics!

Metaethics, Morality and Ethics March 24, 2020 Leave a comment

This first video above does a great job of presenting the basic contours of the field in an easy-to-follow manner. 

This second video below does a greater job of doing so while digging a little bit deeper on the details. 

If you get a chance, make sure to watch both!

Virtue Signaling and the ‘Moral Grandstander’

Metaethics, Morality and Ethics March 22, 2020 Leave a comment

Neil Levy has written an intriguing and interdisciplinary article for Aeon recently. Jones explores the recently coined term ‘virtue-signalling’ and its development, role, and influence within contemporary moral discourse. Not only does he explore virtue-signalling on its own, but he also ties the concept back to evolutionary biology (by way of the peacock’s tail feathers) as well as the cognitive study of religion (through the distinction between costly and credibility-enhancing signals). Though his ultimate conclusions are mere echoes in an increasingly large chamber, the empirical evidence under-girding them has been undeniably growing over time and it is a topic (i.e. the multifaceted nature of human morality and the various biological influences on its development and continued existence) that is of perennial importance. However, there are certainly elements of his article, particularly his critique of the work of Tosi and Warmke, that must be taken to task. 

Continue reading →

Suggestions for Medical Testing on Human Subjects

Bioethics, Morality and Ethics March 10, 2020 Leave a comment

Analysis:

Ultimately, I agree with Miller et al. that the moral principles which govern clinical medical practice should not be confused with the moral principles which should govern clinical medical research. While the Principles of Non-Maleficence [1], Clinical Equipoise [2], and Beneficence [3] ought to be strictly observed within the context of clinical practice, the differences in purposes, methodology, and costs of clinical practice compared to clinical research make it clear that they are not the same and should not be treated as such. But I am also sympathetic, at least in part, to Freedman et al. in that there is still room for significant improvement. As a result, I seek to argue for a kind of middle ground in this particular debate.

Continue reading →