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Full-Text Articles in Medicine and Health Sciences
An Ethical Framework For End-Of-Life Discussions, Mark E. Lones
An Ethical Framework For End-Of-Life Discussions, Mark E. Lones
Bioethics in Faith and Practice
The primary goal of medical care is to assist patients to address medical issues which may threaten their health in order to preserve and restore the quality of the patients’ life. However, when a patient’s prognosis for meaningful survival is poor, there is a change in focus from restorative care to palliative care. The transition from “cure to comfort” is one of the most challenging and important medical care decisions the patient and family may encounter. The purpose of this article is to help give patients, families and care-givers an ethical framework to effectively discuss treatment options, values, and preferences …
Substance, Nature, And Human Personhood, John Wildman
Substance, Nature, And Human Personhood, John Wildman
CedarEthics: A Journal of Critical Thinking in Bioethics
What is a person? The answer to this foundational question may seem intuitive at the first glance. Many would respond, without much thought, that a person is a human being. However, proponents of empirical functionalist philosophy contend that personhood is based on the ability to perform certain actions in actual, not potential, form. They would therefore claim that some members of species homo sapiens may not actually be persons (Singer, 1985). To understand when personhood begins, it is first necessary to understand what a person is. This paper will apply the Aristotelian concepts of substance and nature to define person, …
The Logic Of Birth Control: A Look At The Numbers, Lydia Wong
The Logic Of Birth Control: A Look At The Numbers, Lydia Wong
CedarEthics: A Journal of Critical Thinking in Bioethics
If personhood begins at the moment of conception, the failure of an embryo to implant results in the death of a person. Therefore, many in the pro-life community worry about the ethics of using oral contraceptives, if such hormonal birth control actually interferes with implantation (a so-called “abortifacient” effect). Obviously killing is wrong, and death should be avoided. However, even if contraceptives occasionally prevent implantation, a very good case can still be made in favor of their use. This paper seeks to show how contraceptives, even if they cause implantation failure, can be used with a clear conscience.
Life is …