Which ethical principle is most important?
In the Hippocratic Oath the principle of primary importance is Primum non nocere, above all do no harm.
Three basic principles, among those generally accepted in our cultural tradition, are particularly relevant to the ethics of research involving human subjects: the principles of respect of persons, beneficence and justice.
Beneficence and non-maleficence
Research should be worthwhile and provide value that outweighs any risk or harm. Researchers should aim to maximise the benefit of the research and minimise potential risk of harm to participants and researchers. All potential risk and harm should be mitigated by robust precautions.
The utilitarianism principle basically holds that an action is morally right if it produces the greatest good for the greatest number of people. An action is morally right if the net benefits over costs are greatest for all affected compared with the net benefits of all other possible choices.
While patient autonomy is a fundamental principle in healthcare, there are certain exceptions and limitations that need to be considered. These exceptions arise when the conditions for autonomous decision-making are not met or when the well-being and safety of the patient are at stake.
Main principles of ethics, that is beneficence, nonmaleficence, autonomy, and justice, are discussed. Autonomy is the basis for informed consent, truth-telling, and confidentiality. A model to resolve conflicts when ethical principles collide is presented.
There is a framework of ethics underlying our lives on a daily basis, helping us make decisions that create positive impacts and steering us away from unjust outcomes. Ethics guides us to make the world a better place through the choices we make. Ethics in business is just as important as ethics in personal life.
The four fundamental principles of ethics which are being underscored are autonomy, non-maleficence, beneficence, and justice.
Respect for potential and enrolled participants
Individuals should be treated with respect from the time they are approached for possible participation — even if they refuse enrollment in a study — throughout their participation and after their participation ends.
Beneficence – the duty to 'do good' Non-Maleficence – the duty to 'not do bad' Justice – to treat all people equally and equitably.
What is the golden ethical principle?
The Golden Rule is the principle of treating others as one would want to be treated by them. It is sometimes called an ethics of reciprocity, meaning that you should reciprocate to others how you would like them to treat you (not necessarily how they actually treat you).
Utilitarianism is a theory of morality that advocates actions that foster happiness and oppose actions that cause unhappiness. Utilitarianism promotes "the greatest amount of good for the greatest number of people."
The Utilitarian approach is perhaps the most familiar and easiest to understand of all the four approaches to ethics. Whether we think about it or not, most of us are doing utilitarian ethics a much of the time, especially those of us in business.
As legal precedents have advanced the requirements for patient autonomy to a greater degree than the requirements for health care provider beneficence, patient autonomy has arguably become the dominant principle affecting patient rights.
Deontological: duty-based ethics -- developed by Immanuel Kant. This theory stresses that fidelity to principle and duty are the most important. The consequences of an action, according to Kant do not matter. What matters is that the act itself is right, that one does one's duty.
True autonomy is closely associated with trust, integrity, respect and a culture of accountability. Autonomy in a workplace is not about people doing whatever they like, it is about achieving important organisational goals in a way that benefits both the company and the people who make up that company.
Consequentialism is an ethical theory that judges an action's moral correctness by its consequences.
- Non-punitive environment for incident/error reporting to improve work practice (hiring/firing practices).
- Balancing costs and benefits and divided loyalties.
- Not singling out workers or work groups to perform unpleasant or hazardous duties.
For example, a person who is not imprisoned can make decisions and act according to personal desires and motives. This person has some degree of personal autonomy, depending on the other external factors, such as peer pressure or an authority figure, which may be guiding his or her actions.
| Acceptance | Favorable reception or belief in something |
|---|---|
| Promise-keeping | Keeping your word that that you will certainly do something |
| Prudence | Doing something right because it is the right thing to do |
| Punctuality | Adherence to the exact time of a commitment or event |
What are the 4 basic ethical concerns?
This framework approaches ethical issues in the context of four moral principles: respect for autonomy, beneficence, nonmaleficence, and justice (see table 1). This framework has been influential because the values it espouses seem to align with our moral norms.
An example of an application of the ethics of care is the treatment a military nurse gives to an individual, especially a child, of another nationality, particularly when those nationalities are at war with one another. The treatment in this situation is solely based upon compassion and respect.
1 Principle of essentiality whereby after due consideration of all alternatives in the light of existing knowledge, the use of human participants is considered to be essential for the proposed research.
A code of ethics document may outline the mission and values of the business or organization, how professionals are supposed to approach problems, the ethical principles based on the organization's core values, and the standards to which the professional is held.
PRINCIPLE ONE: Minimising the risk of harm. PRINCIPLE TWO: Obtaining informed consent. PRINCIPLE THREE: Protecting anonymity and confidentiality. PRINCIPLE FOUR: Avoiding deceptive practices.
