BIOETHICS is an applied ethical study dealing with Christian love.

Situation is the context refers to a

the moral problems that demand deliberate decisions. human condition or any state of moral affairs and
TELEOLOGICAL ETHICS – telos/teleos – end, issues that demands a moral judgement or action. E.g.
purpose. Also called Consequential ethics. Stresses abortion – it is good for a child not to be born on a
the end-result, goal or consequence of an act as the cruel world and life.
determining factor of its rightness and wrongness.
DEONTOLOGICAL ETHICS – deon/deontos – CHRISTIAN LOVE – Fletcher cites three types of
discourse on duty or obligation. Stresses duty as the love – eros, philia, and agape. Erotic love means
norm of moral actions, hence it is also known as duty sexual love. Filial love refers to the affection that
ethics. binds a parent to his/her child. Agapeic love refers to
Bioethicians introduced the classification of ethics into one’s care and concern and kindness towards others.
rule and act, resulting from the influence of - Love of and for one’s of
utilitarianism. (Shannon and Digiacomo) station in life. Eros or Philia are biased and partial;
RULE ETHICS – appeals to a set of criteria, they have preference inclinations.
norms, or rules to settle what is the right and just and
ethical decision to make; whereas SIX PROPOSITIONS ARE THE
- E.g. Ten commandments FUNDAMENTALS OF CHRISITAN
ACT ETHICS – determines rightness and CONSCIENCE:
wrongness by weighing the consequences of the act
itself. PROPOSITION – I (Nature of Love) – Only one
- E.g Utilitarianism thing is intrinsically good, namely love nothing else.
SITUATION ETHICS/CONTEXTUALISM PROPOSITION – II (Values of love) – the ultimate
– determines what is morally right and just by looking norm of Christian decisions is love and nothing else.
into the meaning of a given situation rather than into a PROPOSITION – III (Love and Justice) – Love and
rule or norm. justice are the same, for justice is love distributed.
PROPOSITION – IV (Sentimentality) – Love wills
ETHICAL RELATIVISM – AKA as Moral the neighbor’s good whether we like him or not.
relativism – this ethical doctrine claims that there are Christian is literally benevolence; it is a matter of
no universal or absolute moral principle. Standard of loving the unlovable, the unlikable, the uncongenial,
right and wrong are always relative to a particular the unresponsive. Love You enemies
culture or society. PROPOSITION – V (Means and ends) – Only the
-- appears to be self- end justifies the means: nothing else.
contradictory and inconsistent. Not applicable for PROPOSITION – VI (judgement within its own
everyone. (perse is not valid for all) context) – Decisions ought to be made situationally,
not prescriptively.
SITUATION ETHICS – advocated by Joseph
Fletcher – American Protestant medical doctor and
author of Situation Ethics: The New Morality (1966). PRAGMATISM (Charles Pierce and William
He mentions three approaches to morality: legalism, James, john dewey) – Pragmatism is more of a theory
antinomianism and situationism. of knowledge (and methodology), truth, and meaning
than of morality. William James – “truth happens to
LEGALISTIC APPROACH (law) - prescribes an idea; it becomes true and is made true by
certain general moral prescriptions, laws, or norms, by events.”
which to judge, determines and settle the rightness and - It is known as experimentalism precisely
wrongness of human judgement or decisions. Also
because of its claim that truth must always be
known as normative. Too restrictive and
verified and tested by experiment.
circumscribed, and hence inadequate for and
insensitive to the complexity of ever-varying situations - also known as instrumentalism
in which one finds oneself. - Pragmatist has been accused of being too
materialistic because of a pragmatic claim that
ANTINOMIANISM APPROACH – too liberal and truth is the cash value of an idea.
unconventional that leads to anarchy and moral chaos - Pragmatist is also accused of being too
– Christians has obligation to follow moral law. individualistic

SITUATIONISM APPROACH – preferred approach

to the problem of morality. States that, moral norm UTILITARIANISM (Jeremy Bentham , John
depends upon a given situation, but whatever this Stuart Mill) – this ethical doctrines states that the
situation may be, one must always act in the name of rightness or wrongness of actions is determined by the
goodness and badness of their consequences. One and
only one moral principle – principle of utility ( Actions
are good insofar as they tend to promote happiness,
bad as they tend to produce unhappiness. WILLIAM DAVID ROSS – The right and the good
DETERMINE BASED ON THE RESULTS. will
- The utility or usefulness of an action is - ACT – rightness, MOTIVE
determined by the extent to which it promotes – goodness (Prima Facie Duties/Actual)
happiness rather than its reverse.
- Principle of the greatest happiness - an 7 Prima Facie duties
action is good (right) insofar as it produces the greatest 1. Duty of fidelity – faithful
happiness for the greatest number of people, bad 2. Duty of reparation – foregiveness
wrong) insofar produces more harm than benefit for 3. Duty of gratitude – appreciation
the greatest number of individuals. 4. Duty of Justice
ACT AND RULE UTILITARIANISM – utilitarian 5. Duty of beneficence
principles should be applied to particular acts in 6. Duty of Self improvement
particular situations or circumstance on a case to case 7. Duty of Non-Malificent
basis. The latter, on the contrary, maintains that the
principle at issue should be used to test moral rules, JOHN RAWLS (1921-2002) – Theory of Justice
and then the rules can be utilized to decide on which - political philosopher
judgement is right or wrong under the circumstances. Veil of ignorance – original position ---
epoche/bracketing
Immanuel Kant – a brilliant German thinker of
CHAPTER 2
great renown.
- his ethical view sometimes called
Kant categorical imperative of treating others
deontologism for its emphasis on duty or obligation
always as ends and never only as means remedies
- Kant argued that most things we think of as
the apparent weakness of utilitarianism – namely
good are not always good. Intelligence, wealth etc.
lack of justice.
could always be used for evil.
- For Kant, the only thing that is always good
Ross ethics has been regarded significant in ethical
in itself is a good will.
inquiries for its emphasis on the two-fold principle
- We should want to act in a certain way
by which to resolve conflicting duties; such
because it is right, not because of the consequences.
principle is not found in Kant’s moral precepts.
THREE APPROACHES TO ETHICS ACC TO
Rawl’s social morality is likewise off-quoted for its
KANT
unconditional stress on social justice.
Person – Virtue ethics is the state of a person is when
St. Thomas’s moral teachings have been identified
performing an action that matters
with what is known as natural law ethics, whose
Action – Kantian ethics some acts are right or wrong
principle of double effect, totality, the inviolability
in themselves (Duty).
of life, stewardship, sexuality and procreation are
Consequences – consequentialism the end result
very relevant in the medical context. In fact, what is
determines the rightness or wrongness
unique and novel in the treatment of St. Thomas’s
ethics is the application of his sevenfold concept of
IMPORTANCE OF UNIVERSABILITY
circumstances (as one of the determinants of moral
-Kant believed in an objective moral law,
action) in the medical context.
which we can work out using reason (our capacity for
thinking).
KANT’S ETHICS
-All humans have the ability to reason, so we
Immanuel Kant – a brilliant German thinker of great
should all be able to work out the moral law.
renown.
-This means that, for Kant, moral laws must be
- his ethical view sometimes called
universal – they must be the kind of laws that everyone
deontologism for its emphasis on duty or obligation
could discover and follow
- Kant argued that most things we think of as
good are not always good. Intelligence, wealth etc.
KANTIAN ETHICS AS CATEGORICAL
could always be used for evil.
EMPIRICAL
 - For Kant, the only thing that is always good
in itself is a good will.
- We should want to act in a certain way
because it is right, not because of the consequences.
- Others regards it as a form of intuitionism
precisely because of its claim that morality is
exclusively within the human personality.

Intuition – internal motive or intention; hence

it is a motivist theory, too.
Duty – also known as obligation.
Act done in accord with duty – doctor curing
a patient
Act done from a sense of duty – paying
attention to patient who is indeed of care. Actions are
more than work

So, In kant, GOOD WILL!!

Universalizability – a moral basis of an action that if

you made a choice other will do and everyone will do.
But somehow it is unrealistic because it will not
happen. Kant response, it is just a tool to help you
make informed moral decisions not a literal feature
predictor.

Categorical Imperative – a command or maxim that

enjoins a person to do such and such an act without
qualification.
Hypothetical Imperative – a command with the
corresponding condition or limitation. If you wish to
achieve such and such an end, you must act in such
and such a manner.

FORMULATION OF CATEGORICAL
IMPERATIVE
(1) “Act only on that maxim which you can at the
same time will to become a universal law”.
(2) “Always act so as to treat humanity, either
yourself or others, as an end and never as only
means”.

Formulation of the categorical imperative is a

variation of such maxims as “Do unto others as you
would have them do unto you”.