Question

You tell a family that their child’s life could be saved with a treatment, but they refuse based on religious reasons. Do you (A)- perform the treatment without their permission or (B)- honor their request? Summarize consequential (Utilitarianism) ethical theory in at least one paragraph. Summarize non-consequential (Deontology) ethical theory in at least one paragraph. Apply utilitarianism and deontology theory to scenario

Answer 1

If the family refuses treatment based on their religious reasons -

1.performing treatment without there permission

2.honor there request.

This dilemma is complex. In this scenario, the patient limited the efforts to help because of religious beliefs and attempts at persuasion were not successful.

However, medical professionals are subject to some degree of “obligatory beneficence.”Beneficience is one of the important roles society expects from physicians. In the 20th century, the concept of beneficence was often confused with medical paternalism, and many well meaning physicians felt comfortable with the doctor knows best attitude of patients. As the principle of respect for autonomy grew in prominence with the bioethics discipline, paternalism in medical practice was reduced.

As a physician we should explain the family members about the emergency and importance of the medical treatment and try to convince them. here we honor their religious beliefs .

If unsuccessful in convensing the physician must seek an alternate treatment. Which will make the patient better.

Religion and spirituality can impact decisions regarding diet, medicines based on animal products, modesty, and the preferred gender of their health providers. Some religions have strict prayer times that may interfere with medical treatment.

Utilitarianism - Utilitarianism is the theory of morality, which advocates actions that foster happiness or pleasure and opposes actions that cause unhappiness or harm. When directed toward making social, economic or political decisions, a utilitarian philosophy would aim for the betterment of society as a whole.

There are three principles that serve as the basic axioms of utilitarianism%

1.Pleasure or Happiness Is the Only Thing That Truly Has Intrinsic Value.

2.Actions Are Right Insofar as They Promote Happiness, Wrong Insofar as They Produce Unhappiness.

3.Everyone's Happiness Counts Equally.

Deonotoloy - In moral philosophy, deontological ethics or deontology is the normative ethical theory that the morality of an action should be based on whether that action itself is right or wrong under a series of rules, rather than based on the consequences of the action.

The word deontology derives from the Greek words for duty (deon) and science (or study) of (logos). In contemporary moral philosophy, deontology is one of those kinds of normative theories regarding which choices are morally required, forbidden or permitted.

Finally we should go with Utilitarianism in this scenario. Because, as physicians we cannot do anything without patient's or patient's family consent. But we try our best to make them accept the treatment.