Obligated, Prohibited, Permitted, Context

(Biomedical Ethics) Charles Lohman

Ethical Questions / Ethical Theories

• Ethical theories give the framework that JUSTIFY REASONS and ARGUMENTS of a particular action/policy.

• Ethical theories strengthen ARGUMENTS for or against a specific position.– ARGUMENTS are a consistent set of reasons

logically leading to a conclusion.• The stronger the REASONS:

– 1.) The stronger the ARGUMENT – 2.) The stronger the JUSTIFICATION

Obligated, Prohibited, Permitted, Context

• In the process of JUSTIFICATION, REASONS determine which actions/policies are OBLIGATED, PROHIBITED or PERMITTED based on CONTEXT.– OBLIGATED is when an action/policy is supported by an

ethically decisive REASON.• In other words, the REASON outweighs any opposing REASON for

not acting and/or not implementing the action/policy. – PROHIBITED is when an action/policy has an ethically

decisive REASON against it and NO ethically decisive REASON against it.

– PERMISSIBLE is when an action/policy is absent of a REASON for not doing or not implementing the action/policy.

• CONTEXT helps make a decisive decision, giving a decisive REASON.– For example, if one claims that it is morally PERMISSIBLE

to withhold or withdraw treatment from a patient then this claim implies that there is no ethically decisive REASON for initiating or continuing that treatment because the treatment has no clear therapeutic benefit and is not in the patient’s best interests.

– Another example, if one claims that a patient with symptoms of a late-onset genetic disease is OBLIGATED to undergo genetic testing and share their results with siblings or children then this claim implies that there is an ethically decisive REASON for testing.

Obligated, Prohibited, Permitted, Context

Summed Up

• Biomedical ethics is based on practical normative ethics.– In other words, it is basically the study of what

one is OBLIGATED or PERMITTED to do, or PROHIBITED from doing, in different CONTEXTS of biotechnology, medical practice, and medical research.