September 19, 2016

Fr. Ranhilio Callangan Aquino, PhD, JD, JSD

ETHICS Ex: Matobato point of view in committing

murders
 Right or Wrong / Good or Bad
3. Ethical is willing to be guided by wisdom
 Not a question of argument
 People are willing to be guided by
 Cannot be resolved by the rule of majority
reason
Ex: Extrajudicial killings
4. Mere consent does not legitimate an action
 “Some person are incapable of higher
 Ex: Multiple partners, Dilation
thoughts” –Thomas Aquinas
Curettage
What is ethical?  Q: When one is in a state of doubt,
does one act or not?
1. It does not depend on the popular or A: DO NOT act! Resolve the doubt
numbers first.
“Slavery is never right but in majority it is
right” – American Civil War; C. Chelor Ethical Precepts
2. It is a matter of reason
You cannot solve ethical questions by
Value Feelings. Feelings play an important
purely feelings.
role. It signals ethical obligation.
STRUCTURE OF ETHICAL REASONING
CLAIM
GROUNDS Claim is the ethical position/ judgment you are maintained.
Every Claim Rests on Grounds. Claim should always be clear and unambiguous
Example: The use of Oxytocin is helpful. (With whom or with
Get the facts straight
what?)
Q: A patient is brought to you and him / her us in an end stage
and she/he asks you if he/she is dying, what will you say?
A: It is always right to tell the truth in proportion to the
emotional capacity of the patient.
The physician extends
every possible
assistant to the WARRANT Intrauterine Device
patient. The physician Warrant is the ethical principle, ethical norms, and
is at all times at the ethical rules on which you base your decisions. Contraceptive: Prevents
principle of Principles come from ethical theories, religion and fertilization from occurring
beneficialists from professional and legal codes. Abortive Agent: Prevents ligation
and the attachment of embryo
Ex: Anxiety disorder:
Feeling of inadequacy Q: Is this treatment proportional
of sexuality. or unproportional?
A: Always consider the burden of
BACKING the family, e.g. financial
Backing is a rational process by which a
principle is being examined. You must know your limitations.
Consider referring to specialists.
‘’Greatest Good for the Greatest Number” – Jeremiah Bentham

Situation: A patient is diagnosed with pancreatic cancer. Treatments have been given until the family resources
are depleted. However, there has been advancements in treatments which will however exhaust the family’s
resources more but the treatment has only a 10 % success rate. As the physician, what will you do?
Principle involved: Whenever the needs are disproportional, there is no ethical obligation involved.
Conclusion: No more moral necessity.