ETHICS
Dr Abdul Haseeb Bhutta PT
DPT, M.Phil. (SM&MPT), P.G.D(E&TM), Ph.D. (PT)
ETHICS
• Ethics is a branch of philosophy that examines concepts of right and wrong,
good and bad, and moral principles that guide human behavior. It seeks to
answer questions about how individuals should behave, what actions are
permissible or impermissible, and what values should shape our decisions.
ETHICS
• The study of ethics involves analyzing and evaluating ethical theories, moral
dilemmas, and ethical principles that govern human conduct. It aims to
provide frameworks and guidelines for ethical reasoning and decision-making
in various contexts, including personal, professional, social, and cultural
aspects of life
ETHICAL
• Ethical theories often explore different approaches to determining what is
morally right or wrong:
TYPES OF ETHICS
• Normative Ethics
• Meta-ethics
• Applied Ethics
ETHICS
• Normative Ethics: This branch of ethics focuses on establishing norms or
principles that determine the morality of actions. It includes
consequentialism (which emphasizes the consequences of actions),
deontology (which emphasizes duty or rules), and virtue ethics (which
emphasizes moral character and virtues).
ETHICS
• Meta-ethics: Meta-ethics deals with the nature of ethical concepts,
exploring questions about the meaning of moral language, the existence of
moral facts or truths, and whether ethical judgments are objective or
subjective.
ETHICS
• Applied Ethics: This field applies ethical theories and principles to specific
issues or areas of human life, such as bioethics (ethical issues in medicine
and biology), environmental ethics, business ethics, and more.
ETHICS
• Ethical reasoning involves considering various perspectives, evaluating
consequences, analyzing moral principles, and making informed and morally
justifiable decisions. It requires critical thinking, empathy, and an
understanding of diverse ethical frameworks to navigate complex moral
situations.
• Ethics is crucial in guiding human behavior, shaping societies, influencing
laws and policies, and fostering respectful and responsible interactions
among individuals and communities.
• It provides a framework for addressing ethical dilemmas and striving toward
a more morally sound and just world.
ETHICAL THEORIES
• Ethics encompasses several fundamental theories that serve as frameworks
for understanding and evaluating moral principles. Here are some basic
theories of ethics:
• Consequentialism
• Deontology:
• Virtue Ethics:
• Ethical Relativism
• Ethical Egoism:
CONSEQUENTIALISM:
• Consequentialist theories focus on the outcomes or consequences of actions
as the basis for determining their morality.
• The fundamental idea is that an action is considered morally right if it
produces good consequences or maximizes positive outcomes.
• Utilitarianism, a well-known consequentialist theory advocated by
philosophers like John Stuart Mill and Jeremy Bentham, suggests that actions
should aim to maximize overall happiness or well-being for the greatest
number of people.
CONSEQUENTIALISM:
• Example: Consider a situation where a doctor has to decide whether to
perform a risky surgery on a patient.
• A consequentialist approach, such as utilitarianism, would assess the
outcome: if the surgery has a high chance of success and will significantly
improve the patient's quality of life, the action (performing the surgery)
might be deemed morally right, as it maximizes the overall happiness or
well-being of the patient and potentially their family.
DEONTOLOGY:
• Deontological ethics emphasizes the importance of duty, rules, and principles
in determining the morality of actions rather than focusing solely on their
outcomes.
• According to this theory, some actions are inherently right or wrong
regardless of their consequences.
• Immanuel Kant's categorical imperative is a prominent deontological
principle that suggests individuals should act in a way that they could will the
principle of their action to become a universal law.
DEONTOLOGY:
• Example:
• In medical ethics, a principle of deontology might manifest when a doctor
maintains patient confidentiality.
• Even if revealing a patient's confidential medical information might
potentially benefit others or prevent harm, the doctor adheres to the ethical
duty of maintaining patient privacy and confidentiality.
VIRTUE ETHICS:
• Virtue ethics focuses on the moral character of individuals and emphasizes
the development of virtuous traits or qualities.
• It is concerned with cultivating virtues such as honesty, courage,
compassion, justice, and integrity.
• Unlike consequentialism and deontology, which focus on actions, virtue
ethics concentrates on the moral character of the person performing the
action. Philosophers like Aristotle and Confucius contributed significantly to
virtue ethics.
VIRTUE ETHICS
• Example:
• Within the context of medical practice, a doctor who consistently
demonstrates compassion and empathy toward patients, going beyond mere
professional duty, embodies the virtue of compassion.
• This doctor prioritizes understanding and empathizing with patients, aiming
to cultivate compassion as a character trait.
ETHICAL RELATIVISM:
• This theory posits that ethical principles are relative and vary based on
cultural, societal, or individual perspectives.
• Ethical relativism suggests that what is considered morally right or wrong can
differ across cultures, societies, or individuals, and there is no universal
standard of morality.
• This theory raises questions about whether there can be objective moral
truths.
ETHICAL RELATIVISM
• Example:
• Ethical relativism can be seen in varying cultural perspectives on medical
procedures.
• For instance, certain cultural groups might have different views on end-of-life
care, such as euthanasia or withdrawing life support, based on their cultural
or religious beliefs.
• What might be morally acceptable in one culture could be deemed unethical
in another due to differing values and norms.
ETHICAL EGOISM:
• Ethical egoism asserts that individuals ought to act in their own self-interest.
• It suggests that people should pursue actions that maximize their own
happiness or well-being without necessarily considering the interests or well-
being of others.
• It differs from other theories by focusing primarily on the individual's self-
interest as the basis for ethical behavior.
ETHICAL EGOISM:
• Example:
• A pharmaceutical company deciding to market a drug with known side
effects that can harm a small percentage of users, but brings substantial
profit, illustrates ethical egoism in a medical context.
• The company prioritizes its financial gain over the potential harm to a
fraction of the patients using the drug.
