Theories and Principles
of Health Ethics
Prepared by Group 3*
Ethical Principles
Deontology
• Comes from the Greek word “deon” which means duty.
• One of those kinds of normative theories regarding which choices
are morally required, forbidden, or permitted.
• Guide and assess our choices of what we ought to do.
• Encompasses any theory which is primarily concerned with
adherence to certain rules and duties.
• Intention is relevant. “I am acting a certain way only if I act for the
right reason.”
Types of Deontology Theories
1. Divine Command Theory - Divine Command Theory includes the
claim that morality is ultimately based on the commands or
character of God, and that the morally right action is the one that
God commands or requires.
2. The Golden Rule - “Do to others as you want them to do to you” or
“Do not do unto others what others do unto you.” It has serious
limitations. It depends on the moral state of the agent rather than
the person being acted upon.
3. The Natural Law & Natural Right Theories - “The greater good for
the greatest number.” We have the right to defend ourselves and our
property, because of the kind of animals that we are.
Types of Deontology Theories
4. The non-aggression principle - . They reject “first-strike” force, fraud
or theft against others; they only use force in self-defense. This
“Good Neighbor Policy” is what most of us were taught as children.
We were told not to lie, cheat, steal, not to strike our playmates
unless they hit us first.
5. Kantian Ethics (Categorical Imperative) - Kant based his ethical
theory on the belief that reason should be used to determine how
people ought to act.
Ethical Principles (Cont.)
Teleology
• Stems from the Greek word “telos” which means end or
purpose
• Used in ethics to suggest that an action is “good” if it will
have a good end or purpose
• The teleological argument is also called the design
argument which means an argument for the existence of
God. It is also called a posteriori argument
• Consequence-based view of ethics, opposite to deontology
Ethical Principles (Cont.)
Utilitarianism
• It is an ethical philosophy in which the happiness of the
greatest number of people in the society is considered the
greatest.
Virtue Ethics
Virtue Ethics In Nursing
• Virtue ethics is a broad term for theories that emphasizes the
role of character and virtue in moral philosophy rather than
either doing one's duty or acting in order to bring about good
consequences.
• Unlike deontological and consequentialist theories, theories of
virtue ethics do not aim primarily to identify moral situation.
Three Main Directions of Virtue Ethics
• Eudaimonism - bases virtues in human flourishing, where
flourishing is equated with performing one's distinctive function
well
• Agent-based (Kost) - Kost virtue ethics theories take their
inspiration from Aristotle who declared that a virtuous person is
someone who has ideal character traits
• Ethics of Care - proposed predominately by feminist thinkers; it
challenges the idea that ethics should focus solely on justice and
autonomy; argues that more feminine traits, such as caring and
nurturing
Core Values of a Professional
Applicants are expected to act professionally in all of
their dealings. Applicants are expected to properly
follow instructions and meet deadlines. Responsibility,
respect, good judgment, and cooperation are qualities
valued by the physical therapy profession.
7 Core Values of a Professional
1. Accountability
2. Altruism
3. Compassion/Caring
4. Excellence
5. Integrity
6. Professional Duty
7. Social Responsibility
Ethical Principles
1. Autonomy
1. There are 12 Patient’s Rights that the healthcare team
widely uses.
2. Patient’s Bill of Rights
3. Informed Consent
4. Proxy Consent
5. Confidentiality
6. Privacy
Ethical Principles (Cont.)
2. Confidentiality
3. Veracity
4. Fidelity
5. Justice
6. Beneficence
7. Non-maleficence
Ethical Theories
Abraham Harold Maslow
Hierarchy of Needs
“A Theory of Human Motivation” containing a now-famous
paradigm: the hierarchy of needs. The pyramidal hierarchy outlines
basic human needs and desires. It states that human beings must
have their basic physiological and safety needs met before they can
seek out higher-level needs such as love, self-esteem, and creativity.
Ethical Theories (Cont.)
Jean Watson
The Philosophy and Science of Caring
Dr. Watson’s Theory of Caring is described as a moral
ideal that involves mind, body, and soul engagement with
another. There are four distinct phases within the Ethics of
Caring Model: (1) caring about, (2) taking care of, (3) care
giving, and (4) care receiving.
Ethical Theories (Cont.)
Hildegard Peplau
Theory of Interpersonal Relationship
The “Theory of Interpersonal Relations” is a middle-range descriptive
classification theory. The four components of the theory are: person, which is a
developing organism that tries to reduce anxiety caused by needs; environment,
which consists of existing forces outside of the person, and put in the context of
culture; health, which is a word symbol that implies forward movement of
personality and other human processes toward creative, constructive, productive,
personal, and community living.
Ethical Theories (Cont.)
The nursing model identifies four sequential phases in the
interpersonal relationship: orientation, identification, exploitation, and
resolution.
Ethical Theories (Cont.)
Imogene King
Theory of Goal Attainment
It describes a dynamic, interpersonal relationship in which a
patient grows and develops to attain certain life goals. The theory
explains that factors which can affect the attainment of goals are
roles, stress, space, and time. The model has three interacting
systems: personal, interpersonal, and social. Each of these systems
has its own set of concepts.
Woof woof! Any questions
classmates?
THANK YOU!
Members*
Ariel Maghanoy Iris Mambuay
Christine Cadiz Hazel Acao
Kenneth Quinones Fatima Malaki
Joan Arevalo Haula Mangondato
Mariz Lingaya
