Description
Choose two (2) contemporary ethical issues (these need not be business issues and can be taken from everyday life, medicine etc.)
. • Apply at least two (2) ethical theories to each issue, discussing the potential reasoning and outcomes that could result.
• Critically evaluate their usefulness in helping us navigate ethical issues in the modern age.
Explanation & Answer
Attached.
Running head: CONTEMPORARY ETHICAL ISSUES
Contemporary Ethical Issues
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CONTEMPORARY ETHICAL ISSUES
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CONTEMPORARY ETHICAL ISSSUES
Introduction
Ethical issues are part of everyday life whereby a person makes a choice based on the
available alternatives. Thus, the person must evaluate both ethical and unethical options that best
suit the situation. According to Mandal, Ponnambath, and Parija (2016), ethics refers to a system
of moral principles that govern people's actions. The medical field is faced with the most ethical
issues, considering the medical staff handle human lives. Several ethical theories are developed to
guide moral actions when faced with ethical issues. In the face of an ethical dilemma, there is a
need to evaluate the available alternatives and defend the chosen course of action. This is a critical
evaluation of two contemporary issues in medicine, physician-assisted death, and disclosing the
truth to patients. This will be evaluated using both deontology and utilitarianism theories of ethics.
Theories
Deontological ethics were developed by Emmanuel Kant, who viewed moral laws from the
perspective of a categorical imperative. Based on deontological ethics, an action is judged as
ethical or unethical based on the relationship between the actions and duty. Thus, an action is
morally right based on the action characteristic rather than the outcome of the action.
Deontological ethics requires a person to follow the rules and duty obligations (Walker & Lovat,
2016). The first categorical imperative is based on universal law. Thus, a person should act in a
way that raises no contradiction if everyone acts the same way. Also, Kant believed in the moral
worth of people. In this, Kant believed that people should be treated as ends and not as means.
Therefore, deontological ethics believe that only categorical imperatives are moral.
CONTEMPORARY ETHICAL ISSUES
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In contrast, utilitarianism is an ethical theory that focuses on the consequences to judge
whether an action is right or wrong. John Stua...
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