PHIL 356 Final Exam Study Guide
With Complete Solutions
what are three alternative accounts of what is at stake in the desire to live a
good life? - ANSWER a human life is better insofar as...
1) HEDONISTIC ACCOUNT: ...it contains a greater net sum of positive
experiences (even if it's a life in which the person is hooked up to an
"experience machine")
2) DESIRE FULFILLMENT ACCOUNT: ...it contains more satisfied desires
-- or more satisfied "global" desires regarding the person's life as a whole
3) OBJECTIVE LIST THEORY: ...it contains certain elements (these
elements may or may not include friendships, meaningful work, being in
touch with reality; they may also include pleasures, the satisfaction of
certain desires (see parfit)
what is the paternalistic model of the doctor-patient relationship? -
ANSWER doctors should rely exclusively on their own judgments as to
what would be best for patient
are under no obligation to share w their patients the info they take into
account in reaching their decisions
- docs are even obligated NOT to disclose the info wherever they judge the
disclosure will be more harmful than beneficial to patient
two basic assumptions:
,1) the normative assumption that a patient's well being ought to be the
doc's primary concern; that a doc's primary obligation is to promote patient
well-being
2) the empirical assumption that docs are better qualified than their patients
to figure out what will make the patients better
what is the relationship between the capacity for autonomous choice and
the capacity for higher-order desires? - ANSWER gerald dworkin
human beings have the capacity for autonomous choice because they have
the ability to act (or not to act) on higher-order desires. humans can have
desires about their desires, make judgements about their desires, and act
in a way that is consistent with these second-order desires.
what is liberty? - ANSWER ability of people to do what they wish and to
have significant options that are not closed off by actions of other
agents/social institutions
what is autonomy? - ANSWER autos = self, nomos = rule or lawn (self-
governance)
distinctly human ability to be able to reflect on/adopt attitudes toward one's
desires, intentions, and plans
ability to reflect and make changes
second order capacity to think critically abt first-order preferences and
desires
what are some examples that demonstrate liberty vs. autonomy distinction?
- ANSWER examples of AUTONOMY INTERFERENCE W/O LIBERTY
INTERFERENCE:
broken prison cell locks
- prisoner in cell - told all doors are locked
- guards "lock" all doors, but one lock is broken
- prisoner stays in cell due to belief that all doors are locked
- in reality, prisoner is free (has liberty) to leave the cell since one lock is
broken
, -autonomy, however, has been limited, as the prisoner's view of available
alternatives has been manipulated
drug addict
- first order desire = to take drug
- second order desire = to not take drug, fight addiction
- first order desire is so powerful that it trumps second order desire
- drug addict does not have autonomy here, but has liberty. still has the
option to not take drug, but is not able to act in accordance with second-
order desires
example of LIBERTY INTERFERENCE WITHOUT AUTONOMY
INTERFERENCE:
odysseus and the sirens
- odysseus knows he does not want to be lured by sirens - tells his men to
ignore future orders he may give to be set free
- he WANTS his liberty limited to promote survival
- he isn't free in this moment, but his autonomy is protected
- his preference abt his preferences is being honored
- his desire to not act on a certain desire is being honored
what are some exceptions to the requirement to obtain informed consent? -
ANSWER emergency
- Life saving treatment may occur in emergency situations even w/o
consent of patient
- patient is unable to receive info and give consent
- if a person is angry after, it is easy to justify: the doctor saved you to
promote your autonomy in the future and waiting for consent would be
impossible
- there is no reason to assume the patient would not want these
interventions
- if consent is not impossible but the time it takes to get it is costly, it
complicates things
incompetence
- in a typical emergency situation, patient is also incompetent
- this also applies to psychotic, senile, and infant patients
= there is reasonable justification to attempt to prevent loss when patient is
unable to give consent
With Complete Solutions
what are three alternative accounts of what is at stake in the desire to live a
good life? - ANSWER a human life is better insofar as...
1) HEDONISTIC ACCOUNT: ...it contains a greater net sum of positive
experiences (even if it's a life in which the person is hooked up to an
"experience machine")
2) DESIRE FULFILLMENT ACCOUNT: ...it contains more satisfied desires
-- or more satisfied "global" desires regarding the person's life as a whole
3) OBJECTIVE LIST THEORY: ...it contains certain elements (these
elements may or may not include friendships, meaningful work, being in
touch with reality; they may also include pleasures, the satisfaction of
certain desires (see parfit)
what is the paternalistic model of the doctor-patient relationship? -
ANSWER doctors should rely exclusively on their own judgments as to
what would be best for patient
are under no obligation to share w their patients the info they take into
account in reaching their decisions
- docs are even obligated NOT to disclose the info wherever they judge the
disclosure will be more harmful than beneficial to patient
two basic assumptions:
,1) the normative assumption that a patient's well being ought to be the
doc's primary concern; that a doc's primary obligation is to promote patient
well-being
2) the empirical assumption that docs are better qualified than their patients
to figure out what will make the patients better
what is the relationship between the capacity for autonomous choice and
the capacity for higher-order desires? - ANSWER gerald dworkin
human beings have the capacity for autonomous choice because they have
the ability to act (or not to act) on higher-order desires. humans can have
desires about their desires, make judgements about their desires, and act
in a way that is consistent with these second-order desires.
what is liberty? - ANSWER ability of people to do what they wish and to
have significant options that are not closed off by actions of other
agents/social institutions
what is autonomy? - ANSWER autos = self, nomos = rule or lawn (self-
governance)
distinctly human ability to be able to reflect on/adopt attitudes toward one's
desires, intentions, and plans
ability to reflect and make changes
second order capacity to think critically abt first-order preferences and
desires
what are some examples that demonstrate liberty vs. autonomy distinction?
- ANSWER examples of AUTONOMY INTERFERENCE W/O LIBERTY
INTERFERENCE:
broken prison cell locks
- prisoner in cell - told all doors are locked
- guards "lock" all doors, but one lock is broken
- prisoner stays in cell due to belief that all doors are locked
- in reality, prisoner is free (has liberty) to leave the cell since one lock is
broken
, -autonomy, however, has been limited, as the prisoner's view of available
alternatives has been manipulated
drug addict
- first order desire = to take drug
- second order desire = to not take drug, fight addiction
- first order desire is so powerful that it trumps second order desire
- drug addict does not have autonomy here, but has liberty. still has the
option to not take drug, but is not able to act in accordance with second-
order desires
example of LIBERTY INTERFERENCE WITHOUT AUTONOMY
INTERFERENCE:
odysseus and the sirens
- odysseus knows he does not want to be lured by sirens - tells his men to
ignore future orders he may give to be set free
- he WANTS his liberty limited to promote survival
- he isn't free in this moment, but his autonomy is protected
- his preference abt his preferences is being honored
- his desire to not act on a certain desire is being honored
what are some exceptions to the requirement to obtain informed consent? -
ANSWER emergency
- Life saving treatment may occur in emergency situations even w/o
consent of patient
- patient is unable to receive info and give consent
- if a person is angry after, it is easy to justify: the doctor saved you to
promote your autonomy in the future and waiting for consent would be
impossible
- there is no reason to assume the patient would not want these
interventions
- if consent is not impossible but the time it takes to get it is costly, it
complicates things
incompetence
- in a typical emergency situation, patient is also incompetent
- this also applies to psychotic, senile, and infant patients
= there is reasonable justification to attempt to prevent loss when patient is
unable to give consent
