Make brief notes about each of the following ethical theories

  • Consequentialism
  • Deontology
  • Virtue Ethics
  • Principlism

I am expecting you to look into more detail than that given on the powerpoint. You should try to find out when each theory was developed, by whom and other information such as

Looking at ethical issues Learning aim B1

Select at least one of the following dilemmas and write about …………

●the points for each side of the argument

●the points against each side of the argument

●the ethics theory you used to reach each decision.

Dilemma 1

A consultant has been treating a patient with a terminal illness for a number of months. The patient has just been admitted to hospital and, after examining him,the consultant knows that the patient only has a short time left to live. His family are adamant that they don’t want him told because they want him to still feel there is hope. However, it is the patient’s right to be told the facts.

Dilemma 2

The orthopaedic surgeons do not have sufficient resources to carry out all the joint replacements needed. A decision has to be made as to how to prioritise who gets, for example,a replacement knee. A replacement knee can lead to 15 years active life before it wears out and needs replacing again. An operation to replace one knee costs about £12,000.As a committee you need to come up with a way of prioritising which takes into account people who smoke, drink to excess, are morbidly obese, are fit and active except for a painful knee and so on.

Dilemma 3

A broader decision that needs making is that of whether to give medication which costs tens of thousands of pounds for one year’s treatment for one person, such as some cancer treatments, or treat many more people who suffer a heart attack with that funding.

Dilemma 4

Looking at the wider picture, should children and young people get priority for funding for healthcare, because they have their whole lives ahead of them, or should the ageing population who have paid their taxes and national insurance all their lives have the right to access the funding first?

Research one of the situations outlined in the dilemmasabove. Find some recent figures so you can compare the costs of each decision, based on number of people needing funding and the cost over a period of time, such as a year.

You should also complete the tables we looked at during the subject briefing on Thursday 28th June. These sheets will be uploaded alongside this work.