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Applying Bioethics In The 21st Century: Principlism Or Situationism?, George P. Smith Ii
Applying Bioethics In The 21st Century: Principlism Or Situationism?, George P. Smith Ii
Scholarly Articles
After an examination of the four cardinal bioethical principles which define Principlism — autonomy, beneficence, non maleficence and justice — an explication of Joseph Fletcher’s theory of Situationism is undertaken.
The conclusion of this Article is that when an ethical dilemma arises and is “tested” as to its moral efficacy, rather than judge the acts in question in order to determine whether they are in conformance with one of the four bioethical principles, it is more humane and practical to determine the ethical propriety of questioned conduct by use of a situation ethic which in fact is more sensitive. This …
Gently Into The Good Night: Toward A Compassionate Response To End-Stage Illness, George P. Smith Ii
Gently Into The Good Night: Toward A Compassionate Response To End-Stage Illness, George P. Smith Ii
Scholarly Articles
End-of-life decision making by health care providers must respect individual patient values. Indeed, these values must always be viewed as the baseline for developing and pursuing patient-centered palliative care for those with terminal illness. Co-ordinate with this fundamental bioethics principle is that of beneficence or, in other words, respect for conduct which benefits the dying patient by alleviating end-stage suffering — be it physical or existential. Compassion, charity, agape and/or just common sense, should be a part of setting normative standards and of legislative and judicial responses to the task of managing death. Aided by the principles of medical futility, …