Medical Ethics

1
Medical Ethics

• Respect for Life Principles

2
Culture of Death

• Fostered by powerful
• - cultural,
• - economic,
• - political currents
• which encourage an idea of society excessively
  concerned with efficiency and productivity.

3
Culture of Death (by John Paul II)

• The basis of human life is not the sacredness of
  life and human dignity, but the ability to get
  what we want
• People have the right to more than they need,
  even as poverty causes death for others

4
Culture of Death

• People who cause a burden (unborn or elderly) to
  others are considered as less worthy of life
• The quality of a life as the only measure of
  whether it is worth living.

5
Culture of Life (John Paul II)

• Views all people as images and gifts of God, even
  those who require extra care
• Human life at all stages from conception through
  natural death is sacred

6
Culture of Life

• Sees life as worth living even if it involves
  suffering
• Calls people to share what they have with others

7
Culture of life Opposes

• abortion
• human sterilization
• human cloning
• human embryonic stem cell
• euthanasia
• murder and suicide
• capital punishment
• unjust war

8
Medical Ethics Four Principles

• 1. Life is a gift of inestimable value
• All uses of technology must respect human life
• 2. Science and technology are valuable resources
• Can have positive effects on life
• Must be used to support human dignity and life

9
Four Principles cont

• 3. Humans are a unity of body and spirit
• We are more than the sum total of our parts
• Cannot reduce human person to just physical
  existence
• 4. What is technically possible is not
  necessarily morally admissible
• Not every potential medical breakthrough serves
  humanity
• Advances must be measured in terms of respect for
  life

10
The Trinity and Incarnation

• Culture of Life and Four principles grounded in
  these two core Christian doctrines
• Doctrine of Trinity
• God both One and many
• Nature of God relational found in the depth
  loving relationships
• Doctrine of Incarnation
• Body and Spirit not separate not two not one
• Our bodies are sacred, made in divine image