Ethics
Introduction
In the healthcare setting, doctors and patients are often faced with circumstances related
to end-of-life. Conventionally, it is the duty of the doctors to preserve life and ensure that their
patients live for long. However, there are cases of terminal illnesses in which death may seem
like the more suitable solution. There are ethical implications of the actions of doctors, patients,
and patients’ family members in the event of end-of-life ethical issues. Some of the issues
include the rightness or wrongness and the morality of such actions based on ethical reasoning
(Smith, 2012). Consequentialism is a form of moral theory that justifies the outcome of ending
life; it is objected by the deontological …show more content…
It argues that
the morality of any behavior is entirely dependent on the outcome of the action. As such, …show more content…
The only way to understand this theory better is to study an
action and determine whether it spreads happiness and relieves suffering (Haines, n.d.). The
other way is to determine whether it brings about freedom in the world and promotes the well-
being of the human race. When people think like this, then they accept the concept of
Application
The premise of medical utilitarianism in solving end-of-life medical ethics takes three
main directions: the doctor-patient, doctor-doctor, and doctor-patients relatives.
Consequentialism states that the morality of any behavior depends on the overall outcome of the
deed on all the parties involved. If a situation of terminal illness arises, morality dictates that the
right action to take is the one that benefits all or a majority of the party (Smith, 2012). For
instance, if the sickness of a terminally ill patient brings misery and drains finances of relatives,
it would be prudent for doctors to take death as the option.
Although doctors have a sole responsibility of protecting patients, it would be moral
Introduction
In the healthcare setting, doctors and patients are often faced with circumstances related
to end-of-life. Conventionally, it is the duty of the doctors to preserve life and ensure that their
patients live for long. However, there are cases of terminal illnesses in which death may seem
like the more suitable solution. There are ethical implications of the actions of doctors, patients,
and patients’ family members in the event of end-of-life ethical issues. Some of the issues
include the rightness or wrongness and the morality of such actions based on ethical reasoning
(Smith, 2012). Consequentialism is a form of moral theory that justifies the outcome of ending
life; it is objected by the deontological …show more content…
It argues that
the morality of any behavior is entirely dependent on the outcome of the action. As such, …show more content…
The only way to understand this theory better is to study an
action and determine whether it spreads happiness and relieves suffering (Haines, n.d.). The
other way is to determine whether it brings about freedom in the world and promotes the well-
being of the human race. When people think like this, then they accept the concept of
Application
The premise of medical utilitarianism in solving end-of-life medical ethics takes three
main directions: the doctor-patient, doctor-doctor, and doctor-patients relatives.
Consequentialism states that the morality of any behavior depends on the overall outcome of the
deed on all the parties involved. If a situation of terminal illness arises, morality dictates that the
right action to take is the one that benefits all or a majority of the party (Smith, 2012). For
instance, if the sickness of a terminally ill patient brings misery and drains finances of relatives,
it would be prudent for doctors to take death as the option.
Although doctors have a sole responsibility of protecting patients, it would be moral