Bioethics: Concepts & exam questions
The study of metaphysics, philosophical anthropology and
epistemology. In these disciplines, people ask themselves
theoretical philosophy what human beings are, what the world and universe is. In
epistemology, people ask how we know things.
The study of ethics, political philosophy and social
philosophy. In political philosophy people think about
practical philosophy questions of politics and power & structures and ideologies
like capitalism, democracy,... In social philosophy, people
think about the origins and essence of a society and the
relation between individual and social structure
ethics The study and search for the principles that are the
foundation of norms and values (= moral philosophy)
the reflection of morality
thought experiment Fictional cases with which one tries to test or bring to the
fore certain philosophical intuitions.
experimental philosophy A controversial movement in contemporary philosophy that is
based on the use of methods that are more commonly
associated with psychology and the social sciences. They
combine philosophical research with systemic empirical
research.
morality A social institution with history of its own and a code of rules
and principles based on a fundamental notion of good and
evil, which is required through education, habit and culture
and by which people’s acts and judgements are guided.
egoistic prudence A term Thomas Hobbes used to describe the origins of
morality. In the beginning there were only a few people and
lots of food and other resources. As the population grew
people had to compete for those resources. Survival of the
fittest.
ethical naturalism Moral facts can be reduced to non-moral facts. Moral facts
thus have no separate ontological status in reality.
ethical non-naturalism Moral facts can not be reduced to other non-moral facts. The
properties of goodness can not be defined but can only be
shown and grasped. Goodness is what our moral intuitions
point to, not what we can imply from empirical data.
utilitarianism The moral theory that states that an act is good if it causes
the greatest good for the greatest number of people.
deontology The moral theory that states we must follow certain moral
rules because it is our duty to follow them - the intention
matters.
, virtue ethics A moral theory that emphasizes the role of character and
virtues in moral decision-making, rather than focusing solely
on the consequences of actions (consequentialism) or
adherence to rules (deontology).
care ethics An approach to morality that deals primarily with
interpersonal relations.
experience machine A thought experiment about a machine that gives you
pleasurable experiences. Would you prefer to actually do the
things that give pleasure or just experience pleasurable
illusions in the machine?
preference utilitarianism The good has to be defined based on the satisfaction or
preferences rather than providing pleasure.
act utilitarianism A further elaboration on utilitarianism that demands that each
act should be treated separately.
rule utilitarianism A further elaboration on utilitarianism that demands that an
act be judged based on more general rules to maximize
happiness.
hedonism Only pleasure matters: what is good is what causes us
pleasure, and what is immoral is what causes us pain.
supererogatory Something is beyond doubt good, but at the same time, we
feel it asks too much of us.
speciesism Prejudice or discrimination based on species. (To make a
moral distinction between human and non-human animals.)
categorical imperative An unconditional moral obligation which is binding in all
circumstances and is not dependent on a person's inclination
or purpose.
hypothetical imperative A moral obligation that applies only if one desires the
implicated goal.
eudaimonia Greek word for happiness, the good life.
thin morality Thin morality emphasizes universal, minimal ethical
principles that are widely accepted.
thick morality Thick morality involves a detailed, context-specific set of
norms deeply embedded in particular cultural or religious
traditions.
sentiency The capacity to perceive or feel things.
telos A goal/aim all organisms pursue for some good of their own
in their own way.
anthropocentric Regarding humankind as the central or most important
element of existence.
, ecocentric/biocentric Considering all forms of life as having intrinsic value.
procedural justice Justice that is concerned with the fairness in the processes
that resolve disputes and allocate resources.
retributive justice Justice that solely aims at punishing the crime or the
injustice with an appropriate and proportionate punishment.
restorative justice The justice we talk about when a wrong was committed and
seeks to restore a state of affairs in which the victim would
have been in the wrong had not occurred. It also aims to
ensure wrongdoers bear the responsibility for their actions
and understand the harm they have caused while giving
them a chance to redeem themselves, with the prospect that
no further harm will be caused in the future.
distributive justice When there are resources or goods that need to be
distributed and several people have claim over them,
distributive justice aims at ensuring that the repartition is fair.
prima facie principles There are seven prima facie duties or principles, according
to William David Ross: duty of fidelity, reparation, gratitude,
justice, beneficence, self-improvement and non-maleficence.
According to Tom Beauchamp and James Childress there
are four: non-maleficence, beneficence, autonomy and
justice. These are principles that seem to be valid at first
glance, but when applied to concrete situations often have to
be weighed against one another.
interdisciplinarity Involving two or more academic, scientific, or artistic
disciplines.
principlism The use of a principled approach in bioethics, first developed
by medical ethicists Tom Beauchamp and James Childress.
narrative ethics Ethics where the importance of storytelling, voice, and
first-person perspective in doing ethics is emphasized.
decolonizing ethics Developing and deploying more indigenous approaches to
professional ethics and not approaching local issues through
a Western lens.
ethical pluralism To rely on multiple moral principles to come to a sensible
conclusion.
ethical monism Only using one ethical theory to assess ethical issues.
empirical bioethics A relatively new field that seeks to integrate ethical
(normative) research with empirical research.
paternalism Making all the decisions for the people you govern, employ,
or are responsible for, so that they cannot or do not have to
make their own decisions.
