Reference no: EM133484991

Explanation and Application of Second Ethical Theory

Case Study: Clinic Depression

Ethical question: How can healthcare professionals strike a balance between respecting the autonomy of individuals with clinical depression and ensuring their well-being when making decisions regarding their diagnosis, treatment, and care?

Ethical theory and apply it to the case study philosopher: Being truthful from duty is an entirely different thing from being truthful out of fear of bad consequences; for in the former case a law is included in the concept of the action itself whereas in the latter I must first look outward to see what results my action may have. How can I know whether a deceitful promise is consistent with duty? The shortest way to go about finding out is also the surest. It is to ask myself: Would I be content for my maxim (of getting out of a difficulty through a false promise) to hold as a universal law, for myself as well as for others? That is tantamount to asking: Could I say to myself that anyone may make a false promise when he is in a difficulty that he can't get out of in any other way? Immediately, I realize that I could will the lie but not a universal law to lie; for a law would result in there being no promises at all, because it would be futile to offer stories about my future conduct to people who wouldn't believe me; or if they carelessly did believe me and were taken in ·by my promise·, would pay me back in my own coin. Thus, my maxim would necessarily destroy itself as soon as it was made a universal law. Kant, I. (1785)

1. Discuss the core principle of the ethical theory.

2. Explain how someone using the core principles of the ethical theory would analyze the case study and answer the ethical question.