(1) Ethics related to health care has existed since the days of Hippocrates
(circa 400 B.C.). But the recent and rapid changes in the biological sciences and health
care, brought about by scientific, technological, and social developments, have
challenged many of the traditional ideas of moral obligation held by health professionals
and society in general.
(2) Medicine, for one, keeps changing the pattern of disease and dying.
The issues that biomedical ethics must deal with today, such as when life begins and
ends, are less easily resolved than those that ancient forms of medical ethics had to
consider.
b. Professional Ethics. Professional ethics defines the right behavior for a
given profession, that is, any occupation in which a person earns a living.
(1) Professions control entry into occupations by certifying candidates as
knowledgeable and skilled (in certain technologies). They formalize the professional
code of ethics in a written document, which also covers the caring and values aspects
of a profession.
(2) Through codes of ethics, professions specify and enforce primary
responsibilities, obligations and seek to ensure that people (patients), who enter into
relationships with their members (health providers), will find them competent. Through
codes of ethics, professions try to enforce norms for acceptable behavior.
professional ethics: a set of standards of professional conduct set
down in codes.
professional code of ethics: a statement of role morality for a given
profession, as expressed by members of that profession, rather than
external bodies such as government agencies.
c. Descriptive Ethics. Descriptive ethics looks at how people actually reason
and act. Anthropologists, sociologists, and historians record the way moral codes and
individuals and societies express attitudes.
d. Normative Ethics. Professional ethics, such as biomedical, journalistic, or
business ethics, is normative (rather than descriptive) in nature. Normative ethics looks
at what professionals ought to be doing in their respective fields. Normative ethics
formulates broad ethical theories, then it specifies moral principles and rules that
provide justification for particular actions. The principles and rules, outlined in the code
of ethics, serve as action-guides (guides to ethical behavior). Normative ethics attempts
to answer the question: "Which action-guides are worthy of moral acceptance and for
what reasons?"
MD0066
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