PHLB09H3 Lecture Notes - Lecture 2: Kantianism, Fetus, Paternalism
Document Summary
Recall: moral obligation is duty to do something/avoid doing something. Recall: principle of autonomy (humans are autonomous agents), principle of beneficence (promote good vs. harm) No restriction without: good reason, explicit justification. Paternalism: overrides action and deliberation for patient"s own good. Weak p: concerns patients with little to no a (e. g. , addicted, psychotic, children, less controversial (acceptable as protection) Strong p: overrides action and deliberation even if patient mostly a, e. g. , committing occasionally disoriented, softening diagnosis to spare feelings. Con: overriding sovereignty impermissible: some a sufficient to prohibit p. Pro: under ideal conditions, patient would consent: p as proxy for patient a. Pro: only if benefit outweighs restriction of a: enabling future a justifies present restriction. Request for treatment physician rejects out of b. Medical futility: useless because little to no benefit. Patient/physician dispute about futility: inability to repair tissue, inability to keep body alive (sharpest clash), appeal to standards of medical practice. Utilitarianism: driven by b, may justify p.
