Werkgroep 1 – Introduction to ethics
Literatuur:
Common morality theory Beauchamp & Childress chapters 1 (full chapter: p. 1-25)
Parts of chapter 10: p. 425-428 (start of the chapter up until heading 'a theory of "Morality
as a public system'); p. 433-439 (starting under heading 'Casuistry: Case-Based Reasoning' up
until heading 'An integrated Model: Reflective Equilibrium'); p. 444-445 (Starting under
heading 'Common-Morality Theory' up until heading 'Moral Change').
What is morality? How should we treat each other (humans, possibly also animals, nature). Systems
of norms and values by which we judge human actions (and intentions) in terms of right and wrong.
Moral norms
• Regulate behavior
• That relate directly or indirectly to other people (and animals? and nature as a whole?).
• Never have a merely instrumental character.
• No 'if ... then ...' character
• Relate to fundamental values.
Differences between Morality and other normative systems:
• Law: response to norm violation differs: the state guarantees the enforcement of legal rules
and sanctions violations, directly through police action or indirectly through the possibility of
invoking a judge; overlap with moral standards, in addition: the law has many norms that are
morally less relevant (examples? Administrative law: rules on how to apply for subsidized
funds, permits to adjust your house etc.)
• Religion: morality stands for standards of human behaviour, transferred from generation to
generation, before we are born and long after, not dependant on my or your acceptance:
religious norms are dependant on acceptance.
• Etuigette: response to norm violation differes: etiquette: reaction not much more then
frowning or disapproving look, or exclusion
• Technical manual: exist also when people are not living together, has no implications for
others, do ot relate to fundamental values.
Non-normative ethics
• Descriptive ethics: description of positive morality, as an observer.
For example, empirical research on (changes in) physicians’ professional morality.
• Meta-ethics: analysis of methods of ethical research, justification of moral judgements and
meaning of fundamental concepts such as justice & autonomy.
Normative ethics
• Theoretical ethics: theoretical underpinnings of critical morality, as an participant. Normative
theories answer questions such as:
o Why should I act justly?
o Why must I show solidarity?
o Why should I respect others’ freedom?
• Applied ethics: combination of descriptive, normative and meta-ethical perspectives in
respect to:
o Particular practice (e.g. ethics of physicians)
o A particular subject (e.g. confidentiality)
Main movements theoretical (normative) ethics
• Deontology (Kant)
• Consequentialism, utilism (Bentham, Mill)
, • Virtue ethics (Aristotle).
• Care ethics (Tronto).
Part 1
On Morality:
1. Beauchamp and Childress (B&C) loosely define morality on p. 2-3. In what ways do the
standards, norms, rules etc. of morality differ from those of law, religion, etiquette or
technical manuals?
• Moral norms are more general, rules and laws are quite strict. There are different
morality norms between people, in general different than law, religion or rules.
Morality is not written down.
Moral norms there is a shared universal idea on morality (that can be different in
places in the world) which makes it not subjective
When you overwrite a rule of etiquette people may find it strange, but the sanction
will not be severe (people may just frown).
There is overlap between norms, rules and law and religion but it is not the same.
2. B&C discuss common morality on p. 3-5 and p. 444-445. Do you accept the existence of such
a thing? In other words, do you believe that there are certain norms shared by everyone, in
every community, in every culture, in every period of human history?
• Beauchamp and Childress propose common morality, suggesting shared norms
across cultures. Acceptance of its existence varies; it depends on individual
perspectives, with some advocating for universal principles and others emphasizing
cultural relativism.
• There are differences between cultures and people, up to a certain level. But there
definetly is a common morality. You have to agree on some level of norms to discuss
morality. You do have some universal rules. We do share in every space and period of
time there are principles that we share, but ofcourse there are differences between
cultures. This can change over time, example: slavery.
3. B&C also discuss moralities on p. 5-10. Do you think that you - as a future healthcare
manager or healthcare policy advisor - will be subject to some kind of professional morality?
• Future healthcare managers or policy advisors may navigate a unique professional
morality defined by ethical considerations in healthcare management and policy.
• There are particular moralities for different professions. For example for students:
niet plagiaat plegen. You have this for different professions as well.
On Ethics:
1. B&C identify four different ways of understanding and examining moral life, i.e. four ways
of practicing ethics. Explain - in your own words - the difference between normative and non-
normative ethics.
• Normative Ethics: Involves determining what we ought to do, establishing moral standards,
and prescribing how people should behave. It provides guidelines for evaluating the rightness
or wrongness of actions.
o Applied Ethics and normative theories on how people are ought to behave. Practical
Ethics about how people are ought to behave. Based on a standard.
• Nonnormative Ethics: Focuses on understanding moral phenomena without prescribing or
evaluating ethical norms. Descriptive ethics, a form of nonnormative ethics, observes and
analyzes existing moral practices without making normative claims.
, o How to research morality and what kind of language u use for this, and not how
people are ought to behave. So how to study morality. As an observer we want to
know how people percieve reality.
2. B&C identify descriptive ethics as one way of practicing nonnormative ethics? Is it not evident
that if 'morality' refers to norms about right and wrong human conduct (p. 2-3), ethics is
normative by definition?
• Descriptive ethics means the way people actually behave and not how people should
behave or ought to behave.
3. B&C explain moral principles and moral rules on p. 13-15. Explain - in your own words - the
difference between a principle and a rule.
• Moral Principles: General guidelines or fundamental truths that guide ethical reasoning and
decision-making. They provide a foundation for moral rules.
• Moral Rules: Specific prescriptions or prohibitions regarding conduct. Rules are derived from
principles and offer concrete guidance for ethical behavior.
• A principle is mostly not enough to gide behavior. So principle need specification. A rule says
what people need to do, so you need more specifics to get to a rule.
Literatuur:
Common morality theory Beauchamp & Childress chapters 1 (full chapter: p. 1-25)
Parts of chapter 10: p. 425-428 (start of the chapter up until heading 'a theory of "Morality
as a public system'); p. 433-439 (starting under heading 'Casuistry: Case-Based Reasoning' up
until heading 'An integrated Model: Reflective Equilibrium'); p. 444-445 (Starting under
heading 'Common-Morality Theory' up until heading 'Moral Change').
What is morality? How should we treat each other (humans, possibly also animals, nature). Systems
of norms and values by which we judge human actions (and intentions) in terms of right and wrong.
Moral norms
• Regulate behavior
• That relate directly or indirectly to other people (and animals? and nature as a whole?).
• Never have a merely instrumental character.
• No 'if ... then ...' character
• Relate to fundamental values.
Differences between Morality and other normative systems:
• Law: response to norm violation differs: the state guarantees the enforcement of legal rules
and sanctions violations, directly through police action or indirectly through the possibility of
invoking a judge; overlap with moral standards, in addition: the law has many norms that are
morally less relevant (examples? Administrative law: rules on how to apply for subsidized
funds, permits to adjust your house etc.)
• Religion: morality stands for standards of human behaviour, transferred from generation to
generation, before we are born and long after, not dependant on my or your acceptance:
religious norms are dependant on acceptance.
• Etuigette: response to norm violation differes: etiquette: reaction not much more then
frowning or disapproving look, or exclusion
• Technical manual: exist also when people are not living together, has no implications for
others, do ot relate to fundamental values.
Non-normative ethics
• Descriptive ethics: description of positive morality, as an observer.
For example, empirical research on (changes in) physicians’ professional morality.
• Meta-ethics: analysis of methods of ethical research, justification of moral judgements and
meaning of fundamental concepts such as justice & autonomy.
Normative ethics
• Theoretical ethics: theoretical underpinnings of critical morality, as an participant. Normative
theories answer questions such as:
o Why should I act justly?
o Why must I show solidarity?
o Why should I respect others’ freedom?
• Applied ethics: combination of descriptive, normative and meta-ethical perspectives in
respect to:
o Particular practice (e.g. ethics of physicians)
o A particular subject (e.g. confidentiality)
Main movements theoretical (normative) ethics
• Deontology (Kant)
• Consequentialism, utilism (Bentham, Mill)
, • Virtue ethics (Aristotle).
• Care ethics (Tronto).
Part 1
On Morality:
1. Beauchamp and Childress (B&C) loosely define morality on p. 2-3. In what ways do the
standards, norms, rules etc. of morality differ from those of law, religion, etiquette or
technical manuals?
• Moral norms are more general, rules and laws are quite strict. There are different
morality norms between people, in general different than law, religion or rules.
Morality is not written down.
Moral norms there is a shared universal idea on morality (that can be different in
places in the world) which makes it not subjective
When you overwrite a rule of etiquette people may find it strange, but the sanction
will not be severe (people may just frown).
There is overlap between norms, rules and law and religion but it is not the same.
2. B&C discuss common morality on p. 3-5 and p. 444-445. Do you accept the existence of such
a thing? In other words, do you believe that there are certain norms shared by everyone, in
every community, in every culture, in every period of human history?
• Beauchamp and Childress propose common morality, suggesting shared norms
across cultures. Acceptance of its existence varies; it depends on individual
perspectives, with some advocating for universal principles and others emphasizing
cultural relativism.
• There are differences between cultures and people, up to a certain level. But there
definetly is a common morality. You have to agree on some level of norms to discuss
morality. You do have some universal rules. We do share in every space and period of
time there are principles that we share, but ofcourse there are differences between
cultures. This can change over time, example: slavery.
3. B&C also discuss moralities on p. 5-10. Do you think that you - as a future healthcare
manager or healthcare policy advisor - will be subject to some kind of professional morality?
• Future healthcare managers or policy advisors may navigate a unique professional
morality defined by ethical considerations in healthcare management and policy.
• There are particular moralities for different professions. For example for students:
niet plagiaat plegen. You have this for different professions as well.
On Ethics:
1. B&C identify four different ways of understanding and examining moral life, i.e. four ways
of practicing ethics. Explain - in your own words - the difference between normative and non-
normative ethics.
• Normative Ethics: Involves determining what we ought to do, establishing moral standards,
and prescribing how people should behave. It provides guidelines for evaluating the rightness
or wrongness of actions.
o Applied Ethics and normative theories on how people are ought to behave. Practical
Ethics about how people are ought to behave. Based on a standard.
• Nonnormative Ethics: Focuses on understanding moral phenomena without prescribing or
evaluating ethical norms. Descriptive ethics, a form of nonnormative ethics, observes and
analyzes existing moral practices without making normative claims.
, o How to research morality and what kind of language u use for this, and not how
people are ought to behave. So how to study morality. As an observer we want to
know how people percieve reality.
2. B&C identify descriptive ethics as one way of practicing nonnormative ethics? Is it not evident
that if 'morality' refers to norms about right and wrong human conduct (p. 2-3), ethics is
normative by definition?
• Descriptive ethics means the way people actually behave and not how people should
behave or ought to behave.
3. B&C explain moral principles and moral rules on p. 13-15. Explain - in your own words - the
difference between a principle and a rule.
• Moral Principles: General guidelines or fundamental truths that guide ethical reasoning and
decision-making. They provide a foundation for moral rules.
• Moral Rules: Specific prescriptions or prohibitions regarding conduct. Rules are derived from
principles and offer concrete guidance for ethical behavior.
• A principle is mostly not enough to gide behavior. So principle need specification. A rule says
what people need to do, so you need more specifics to get to a rule.
