Medicine, Metaphysics and Morals Essay -- Ethics Health Medical Essays

Medicine, Metaphysics and Morals ABSTRACT: Moral decisions concerning what ought to be done always assume metaphysical presuppositions concerning the way the world is. In the field of biomedical ethics, some of the metaphysical presuppositions underlying many current discussions of issues of life and death seem particularly implausible. These include our assumption of the reality of social atomism and our beliefs relating to the possibility of autonomy. Given the implausibility of these two assumptions, many discussions have focused our attention on the wrong issues by reducing questions of alternative social practices to questions of individual preferences. Far from facilitating intelligent solutions to our problems, this merely clouds the issues involved. Obviously decisions about what ought to be done in any given circumstance presuppose the acceptance of beliefs regarding what can in fact be done. In short moral judgments presuppose metaphysical commitments, beliefs about the way the world is. Unfortunately, social pressures in most modern societies militate against the open admission of any metaphysical commitments on the part of persons involved in making moral judgments in the field of applied ethics known as biomedical ethics. Ethical decisions in the area of medicine need to be seen as acceptable to as large a segment of the community as possible. However, since the community in most modern societies is remarkably heterogeneous with respect to assumptions concerning the way the world is, any explicit reference to metaphysical assumptions on the part of one discussing biomedical ethics is apt to be challenged by at least some members of the community. Hence those involved in discussions of biomedical ethics tend to ... ..., 2nd ed. Veatch London: Jones and Bartlett 1997, p.33. (15) Beauchamp, T. - "Informed Consent" in Medical Ethics ed. Veatch London: Jones and Bartlett. 1997. p 195. (16) Hendin, H. - Seduced by Death: Doctors, Patients, and the Dutch Care. New York: W.W. Norton 1997 p. 157. (17) Pellegrino, E.D. - "The Place of Intention in the Moral Assessment of Assisted Suicide and Active Euthanasia" in Intending Death: The Ethics of Assisted Suicide and Euthanasia ed. Beauchamp, New Jersey: Prentice-Hall 1996. (18) Ibid. (19) Ibid. (20) Hardwig - op cit. p 34-35 (21) For Example see: Brody, H. - "The Physician-Patient Relationship" in Medical Ethics. Second Ed. Veatch London: Jones and Bartlett 1997 pp. 75-79. (22) Chamblis, D.F.- Beyond Caring: Hospitals, Nurses, and the Social Organization of Ethics, Chicago 1996, University of Chicago Press p. 165.