PHIL 235 BIOMEDICAL ETHICS STUDY 2026 GUIDE
QUESTIONS AND ANSWERS SURE A+
✔✔What is the significance of practical wisdom in virtue ethics? - ✔✔Practical wisdom
involves good judgment and sensitivity to context, guiding ethical decisions rather than
relying on fixed rules.
✔✔What is the role of compassion in virtue ethics? - ✔✔Compassion is emphasized in
virtue ethics as a key trait that guides ethical behavior, particularly in healthcare.
✔✔What are the key contexts where ethics is especially important in biomedical fields?
- ✔✔End-of-life care, consent, treatment refusal, resource allocation.
✔✔What ethical approach has roots in the feminist movement? - ✔✔The ethics of care.
✔✔How do traditional ethical theories typically view human decision-making? - ✔✔They
often view it as rational, individualistic, self-interested, and relationship-neutral.
✔✔What do feminist thinkers argue about traditional ethical theories? - ✔✔They argue
that these theories do not reflect how many people actually make moral decisions in
real life.
,✔✔What is the difference between justice and care in ethical perspectives? - ✔✔Justice
focuses on rules, rights, and fair treatment, while care emphasizes relationships,
empathy, and responsiveness to others' needs.
✔✔What does the ethics of care reject in terms of moral decision-making? - ✔✔It
rejects the push for impartiality and focuses on the actual situation between people.
✔✔What is paternalism in a medical context? - ✔✔Paternalism is the intentional
overriding of one person's preferences by another, justified by the goal of benefiting the
person whose preferences are overridden.
✔✔What does the Hippocratic Oath emphasize regarding patient care? - ✔✔It
emphasizes 'Above all, do no harm' and allows for interference in a patient's decisions if
it is in their best interest.
✔✔What is Patient/Family-Centred Care? - ✔✔An approach where patients and families
are the decision-makers, entitled to make their own decisions if they have decision-
making capacity.
✔✔What factors determine a patient's decision-making capacity? - ✔✔The patient must
have decision-making capacity, act voluntarily, and be fully informed.
✔✔How does competency vary in medical decision-making? - ✔✔Competency is task-
specific, varies over time, and is not a generalized judgment about a person.
✔✔What is the traditional paternalistic view of the doctor-patient relationship? - ✔✔The
doctor is seen as the 'father' figure who knows best and makes decisions for the patient.
✔✔What is the critique of the traditional paternalistic model in healthcare? - ✔✔It risks
conflicting with patient autonomy and does not account for the patient's own conception
of their best interest.
✔✔What does the ethics of care emphasize in moral decision-making? - ✔✔It
emphasizes maintaining and nurturing relationships rather than just applying rules.
✔✔What moral values does the ethics of care focus on? - ✔✔Care, relationships,
emotional connection, and responsibility toward others.
✔✔What is the significance of the phrase 'Doctor knows best' in medical ethics? - ✔✔It
reflects a paternalistic approach where the doctor assumes authority over the patient's
decisions.
, ✔✔What is the role of emotional connection in moral decision-making according to
feminist ethics? - ✔✔Emotional connection is a key factor in how many people make
moral decisions.
✔✔What does the term 'informed consent' refer to in medical ethics? - ✔✔It refers to the
patient's right to make decisions about their own treatment based on understanding the
risks and benefits.
✔✔Why might a patient lack decision-making capacity? - ✔✔Due to factors like illness,
oppression, or lack of rational decision-making skills.
✔✔What is the relationship between care and moral decision-making in the ethics of
care? - ✔✔Moral decision-making is often based on the context of relationships and the
needs of others.
✔✔How does the ethics of care challenge traditional ethical values? - ✔✔It questions
the emphasis on the isolated individual and the value of impartiality.
✔✔What is the potential harm of giving a patient the 'right' to choose in oppressive
situations? - ✔✔It may harm them if they lack the capacity to make informed choices
due to external pressures.
✔✔What does the ethics of care seek to balance? - ✔✔It seeks to balance impartiality
with relatedness and the needs of individuals.
✔✔What is the importance of context in the ethics of care? - ✔✔Context is crucial in
shaping appropriate responses to moral dilemmas.
✔✔What does the term 'vulnerability' imply in the ethics of care? - ✔✔It implies that
individuals need care and are called upon to care for others.
✔✔How does the ethics of care view moral experience? - ✔✔It suggests that moral
experience cannot be wholly impartial and is influenced by relationships.
✔✔What is the implication of the phrase 'minimize harm' in care ethics? - ✔✔It
emphasizes the importance of reducing harm to others while making moral decisions.
✔✔What does the ethics of care remind us about human relationships? - ✔✔It reminds
us that relationships are central to moral decision-making.
✔✔What is a standard of competence in medical contexts? - ✔✔It relates to a patient's
ability to understand treatment reasons, procedures, risks, benefits, alternatives,
deliberate, and decide.
QUESTIONS AND ANSWERS SURE A+
✔✔What is the significance of practical wisdom in virtue ethics? - ✔✔Practical wisdom
involves good judgment and sensitivity to context, guiding ethical decisions rather than
relying on fixed rules.
✔✔What is the role of compassion in virtue ethics? - ✔✔Compassion is emphasized in
virtue ethics as a key trait that guides ethical behavior, particularly in healthcare.
✔✔What are the key contexts where ethics is especially important in biomedical fields?
- ✔✔End-of-life care, consent, treatment refusal, resource allocation.
✔✔What ethical approach has roots in the feminist movement? - ✔✔The ethics of care.
✔✔How do traditional ethical theories typically view human decision-making? - ✔✔They
often view it as rational, individualistic, self-interested, and relationship-neutral.
✔✔What do feminist thinkers argue about traditional ethical theories? - ✔✔They argue
that these theories do not reflect how many people actually make moral decisions in
real life.
,✔✔What is the difference between justice and care in ethical perspectives? - ✔✔Justice
focuses on rules, rights, and fair treatment, while care emphasizes relationships,
empathy, and responsiveness to others' needs.
✔✔What does the ethics of care reject in terms of moral decision-making? - ✔✔It
rejects the push for impartiality and focuses on the actual situation between people.
✔✔What is paternalism in a medical context? - ✔✔Paternalism is the intentional
overriding of one person's preferences by another, justified by the goal of benefiting the
person whose preferences are overridden.
✔✔What does the Hippocratic Oath emphasize regarding patient care? - ✔✔It
emphasizes 'Above all, do no harm' and allows for interference in a patient's decisions if
it is in their best interest.
✔✔What is Patient/Family-Centred Care? - ✔✔An approach where patients and families
are the decision-makers, entitled to make their own decisions if they have decision-
making capacity.
✔✔What factors determine a patient's decision-making capacity? - ✔✔The patient must
have decision-making capacity, act voluntarily, and be fully informed.
✔✔How does competency vary in medical decision-making? - ✔✔Competency is task-
specific, varies over time, and is not a generalized judgment about a person.
✔✔What is the traditional paternalistic view of the doctor-patient relationship? - ✔✔The
doctor is seen as the 'father' figure who knows best and makes decisions for the patient.
✔✔What is the critique of the traditional paternalistic model in healthcare? - ✔✔It risks
conflicting with patient autonomy and does not account for the patient's own conception
of their best interest.
✔✔What does the ethics of care emphasize in moral decision-making? - ✔✔It
emphasizes maintaining and nurturing relationships rather than just applying rules.
✔✔What moral values does the ethics of care focus on? - ✔✔Care, relationships,
emotional connection, and responsibility toward others.
✔✔What is the significance of the phrase 'Doctor knows best' in medical ethics? - ✔✔It
reflects a paternalistic approach where the doctor assumes authority over the patient's
decisions.
, ✔✔What is the role of emotional connection in moral decision-making according to
feminist ethics? - ✔✔Emotional connection is a key factor in how many people make
moral decisions.
✔✔What does the term 'informed consent' refer to in medical ethics? - ✔✔It refers to the
patient's right to make decisions about their own treatment based on understanding the
risks and benefits.
✔✔Why might a patient lack decision-making capacity? - ✔✔Due to factors like illness,
oppression, or lack of rational decision-making skills.
✔✔What is the relationship between care and moral decision-making in the ethics of
care? - ✔✔Moral decision-making is often based on the context of relationships and the
needs of others.
✔✔How does the ethics of care challenge traditional ethical values? - ✔✔It questions
the emphasis on the isolated individual and the value of impartiality.
✔✔What is the potential harm of giving a patient the 'right' to choose in oppressive
situations? - ✔✔It may harm them if they lack the capacity to make informed choices
due to external pressures.
✔✔What does the ethics of care seek to balance? - ✔✔It seeks to balance impartiality
with relatedness and the needs of individuals.
✔✔What is the importance of context in the ethics of care? - ✔✔Context is crucial in
shaping appropriate responses to moral dilemmas.
✔✔What does the term 'vulnerability' imply in the ethics of care? - ✔✔It implies that
individuals need care and are called upon to care for others.
✔✔How does the ethics of care view moral experience? - ✔✔It suggests that moral
experience cannot be wholly impartial and is influenced by relationships.
✔✔What is the implication of the phrase 'minimize harm' in care ethics? - ✔✔It
emphasizes the importance of reducing harm to others while making moral decisions.
✔✔What does the ethics of care remind us about human relationships? - ✔✔It reminds
us that relationships are central to moral decision-making.
✔✔What is a standard of competence in medical contexts? - ✔✔It relates to a patient's
ability to understand treatment reasons, procedures, risks, benefits, alternatives,
deliberate, and decide.
