1
Bioethics midterm exam Questions with
Correct Answers | Updated (100% Correct
Answers)
4 main principles that create obligations Answer: Non-malefience,
beneficence, respect for autonomy, justice
Hippocrates Answer: 5th century BC created main thing of to do no
harm nonmaleficence
non-malefience Answer: the obligation to do no harm
beneficence Answer: the obligation to do good
respect for autonomy (self-rule) Answer: from Immanuel Kant, our
capacity to say whats best for ourselves, patient gets to make the
decision (dr gives options); respect
paternalism Answer: the physician alone determines what is in the
best interest of the patient
john stuart mill Answer: people should be as free as possible unless
it infringes on other peoples rights
justice Answer: the obligation for fair methods of distributive
(scarcity) for organs/technologies in a population when resources
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,2
are scarce, how to do decide who gets what and has a fair shot at
getting it
carries into conflict with each other a lot Answer: which comes
across more weight
obligated Answer: ethically decisive reasons that are for it, actions
that you have to do (giving care in the ER must do, can't turn
someone away in the ER)
prohibited Answer: ethically decisive reasons that are against
something , actions that you cannot do (euthanizing a patient)
permitted Answer: not having ethically decisive reasons against it,
you can do it , but not something that you have to do (praying with
a patient, but really needing to do rounds)
bioethics is a species of Answer: practical normative ethics
descriptive ethics Answer: how people in fact behave, anthropology,
describing it
normative ethics Answer: how people ought to act, telling people
how to act, prescriptive, giving reasons for how something ought to
be
2 criteria that most ethical theories have in common Answer:
objectivity and impartiality
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, 3
objectivity Answer: doesn't require a particular perspective to agree,
universally appeals to everyone, don't have to know what peoples
views are to convince them
impartiality Answer: everybody counts the same, not considering
any particular group higher
2 main themes of bioethics Answer: consequentalism (utilitarianism)
and deontology (duty-based, moral obligation independent of
consequences)
consequentalism (outcomes positive or negative) Answer: bases
decisions on consequences how it turns out, justified by the amount
of good they bring about, non-maleficence and beneficence are
concerned with outcomes (justice balance outcomes), utilitarianism
(biggest theory about consequences)
deontology (duty-based) Answer: respect for autonomy, sets
boundaries (justice gives everyone rights)
utilitarianism Answer: father Jeremy Bentham 1800s, John Stuart
Mill (political influencer-liberty), motivation for social reform
independent of religious belief, 3 principles that explains it, based
on objective recognition that everyone is self-interested but no ones
interest better than anyone elses
© 2025 All rights reserved
Bioethics midterm exam Questions with
Correct Answers | Updated (100% Correct
Answers)
4 main principles that create obligations Answer: Non-malefience,
beneficence, respect for autonomy, justice
Hippocrates Answer: 5th century BC created main thing of to do no
harm nonmaleficence
non-malefience Answer: the obligation to do no harm
beneficence Answer: the obligation to do good
respect for autonomy (self-rule) Answer: from Immanuel Kant, our
capacity to say whats best for ourselves, patient gets to make the
decision (dr gives options); respect
paternalism Answer: the physician alone determines what is in the
best interest of the patient
john stuart mill Answer: people should be as free as possible unless
it infringes on other peoples rights
justice Answer: the obligation for fair methods of distributive
(scarcity) for organs/technologies in a population when resources
© 2025 All rights reserved
,2
are scarce, how to do decide who gets what and has a fair shot at
getting it
carries into conflict with each other a lot Answer: which comes
across more weight
obligated Answer: ethically decisive reasons that are for it, actions
that you have to do (giving care in the ER must do, can't turn
someone away in the ER)
prohibited Answer: ethically decisive reasons that are against
something , actions that you cannot do (euthanizing a patient)
permitted Answer: not having ethically decisive reasons against it,
you can do it , but not something that you have to do (praying with
a patient, but really needing to do rounds)
bioethics is a species of Answer: practical normative ethics
descriptive ethics Answer: how people in fact behave, anthropology,
describing it
normative ethics Answer: how people ought to act, telling people
how to act, prescriptive, giving reasons for how something ought to
be
2 criteria that most ethical theories have in common Answer:
objectivity and impartiality
© 2025 All rights reserved
, 3
objectivity Answer: doesn't require a particular perspective to agree,
universally appeals to everyone, don't have to know what peoples
views are to convince them
impartiality Answer: everybody counts the same, not considering
any particular group higher
2 main themes of bioethics Answer: consequentalism (utilitarianism)
and deontology (duty-based, moral obligation independent of
consequences)
consequentalism (outcomes positive or negative) Answer: bases
decisions on consequences how it turns out, justified by the amount
of good they bring about, non-maleficence and beneficence are
concerned with outcomes (justice balance outcomes), utilitarianism
(biggest theory about consequences)
deontology (duty-based) Answer: respect for autonomy, sets
boundaries (justice gives everyone rights)
utilitarianism Answer: father Jeremy Bentham 1800s, John Stuart
Mill (political influencer-liberty), motivation for social reform
independent of religious belief, 3 principles that explains it, based
on objective recognition that everyone is self-interested but no ones
interest better than anyone elses
© 2025 All rights reserved
