A Tool for Ethical Assessments of Biotechnology

Running head: ETHICAL THEORY MATRIX
ETHICAL THEORY MATRIX
Name of the Student:
Name of the University:
Author’s Note:
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Theory Decision
Criteria
Your Own
Example
Strengths Weaknesses Prominent
Philosophers
Who
Accepted
Theory
Two Objections
to Theory
Responses to
the
Objections
Utilitarianism The decision
criteria that
can be taken
into
consideration
are decisions
are made
based on the
result, it
should be
focused on
right and
justice (Mill,
2016).
It states that
the nurse
needs to be
honest with
the patient
and inform
them all
about the
treatment in
order to
make an
informed
decision.
The strengths of
Utilitarianism theory are:
 It offers intrinsic
value to
happiness
 Utilitarianism
consider harming
other is wrong
 It is logical in
nature ( Scarre,
2018)
 It is a
straightforward
approach that
The weaknesses
of the theory are:
 It does
not
consider
other
goods
such as
freedom,
life and
love. Its
major
focus is
happiness
(Liu,
Jeremy
Bentham and
Stuart Mill
The two
objections to the
theory are
happiness should
not be a rational
aim for human,
and thus, it is
unachievable in
complete sense
and people are
existing in the
world without
happiness;
therefore,
virtuous people
Stuart Mill
had replied to
the object that
happiness is
an
overstatement
that people
cannot be
happy.
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Theory Decision
Criteria
Your Own
Example
Strengths Weaknesses Prominent
Philosophers
Who
Accepted
Theory
Two Objections
to Theory
Responses to
the
Objections
weighs the
positive and
negative aspects
of the actions
 It does not
involve
secularism
 It is based on
objective
 It is universal in
nature
Schuckert
& Law,
2018)
 The
outcome
is not
always
justifiable
 It is
unpredict
able and
immeasur
able
 It is
subjective
have relinquished
happiness
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Theory Decision
Criteria
Your Own
Example
Strengths Weaknesses Prominent
Philosophers
Who
Accepted
Theory
Two Objections
to Theory
Responses to
the
Objections
as a
different
individual
have a
different
definition
of
happiness
Kantian
Ethics
The two
decision
criteria of
Kantian
ethics are the
rule of
universality
that state that
The duty of
care of a
nurse is
stated to be a
duty of
virtue. When
an individual
decides to
The advantages of
Kantian ethics are:
 The morality in
this ethic is
straightforward
and is logical,
which can be
accessed by
The weaknesses
of Kant ethics
are:
 It is
abstract
in nature
 The
Jurgen
Habermas,
John Rawls
and Jacques
Lacan
According to
some
philosophers,
Kant was in favor
of freedom and
putting duty
above all is stated
to be inhuman as
According to
Kant, it is
important to
respect others
and not to use
people as
mean to an
end. It is a
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