Week 2 Discussion: Religion and Ethics
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Ethics for Free Will in Medical Treatment
According to Kant, the divine command theory considers what is morally right to do (Rachels, S. & Rachels, J. 2019 P.51). In our case, we have a patient who requires a blood transfusion, and the parent has objections. It is subjective to God’s will, which makes the actions right or wrong. Therefore, a nurse as a professional medical needs to understand and respect religious beliefs according to the will of God.
However, the divine command is only useful to those who have the conviction of God’s existence. The involvement of atheists in this discussion raises the question of God’s presence. This theory is, therefore, incomplete in such a scenario.
Similarly, the divine command argument is objected to the basis of
acts. The divine command support Gods being able to command abhorrent acts. It would approve murder, genocide, and rape choices as morally acceptable (Rachels, S. & Rachels, J. 2019, P.52). The standard of the goodness of God will, therefore, be questionable.
The natural law of theory advocates for reasoning, which is morally and legally accepted (Zurcher, Elger & Tachsel, 2019). Consent in medical treatments is a legal prerequisite. The ethical and legal considerations for refusal of blood transfusion are dramatic. Patients autonomy usually conflicts with physicians’ values and duties. The physician should, therefore consider the state of necessity (Zurcher, Elger & Tachsel, 2019). This approach limits patients’ consent.
Ideally, I support the natural law of ethicist. This law supports reasoning, which is morally and ethical to safeguarding patient autonomy.
The principle for self-determination is usually enshrined in the law. Treatment is carried out per patient’s free and informed consent. However, subjectivity emphasizes reason, duty, and motives in bioethics (Shepherd, 2015).
References
Rachels, S., & Rachels, J. (2019). The elements of moral philosophy (9th ed.). McGraw-Hill Education. ISBN 978-0-07-803824-2
Shepherd, J. (2015). Consciousness, free will, and moral responsibility: Taking the folk seriously. Philosophical Psychology, 28(7), 929-946. DOI: 10.1080/09515089.2014.962018
Zürcher, T., Elger, B., & Trachsel, M. (2019). The notion of free will and its ethical relevance for decision-making capacity. BMC Medical Ethics, 20(1). DOI: 10.1186/s12910-019-0371-0