Phi_2000-Assessment 1 Normative Theories Essay

Phi_2000-Assessment 1 Normative Theories Essay

Phi_2000-Assessment 1 Normative Theories Essay

Normative Theories

There are various ethical and moral dilemmas that social workers encounter in their day-to-day activities. Ethical dilemmas are among them and include situations that involve choosing between two different options, which involve providing solutions in a morally acceptable manner. In such circumstances, the social and personal ethical guidelines may provide no satisfactory results to the scenario. The purpose of this paper is to analyze ethical issues in a complicated scenario and apply Kant’s ethical theory to that case. There will also be an application of Mill’s ethical theory to the same ethical scenario. Finally, there will be a justification of my possible course of action.

Ethical Issues in The Scenario

Although the codes of conduct in the medical profession demand respect for patient’s confidentiality, I fear that my daughter’s grade-school teacher poses a number of threats. The ethical codes of conduct encourage confidentiality and prohibit the health care providers from disclosing information relating to patient’s health status to others without their consent. Employers are also obliged to have a health care system that is secure and promotes highest precautions to ensure that only authorized persons have access to confidential records. Therefore, in the scenario provided, appropriate care is needed to ensure patient’s information is stored safely and accessibility is only available to the authorized persons (Reamer, 2013). Primary care medical facility users assume the duty to protect information from unauthorized access and may be accountable for any breach of confidentiality and access to confidential information relating to the patients they care for. In accordance with the HIPAA act of 1997, the institution I work for is entitled to have policies and procedures to protect privacy of patients’ information and ensure confidentiality at all times.

What I Will do

As an employee, it is my responsibility to respects other people’s privacy and to adhere to the set organizational policies of maintaining confidentiality, because I have signed and agreed to comply with the non-disclosure codes of conduct. Therefore, it is my duty to protect the employer (primary care medical facility) against any form of a lawsuit that could potentially result from professional negligence and disclosure of confidential information without owner’s knowledge. If there is no explicit permission from the teacher to share information regarding his/her health status, it will generally not be ethically justifiable to do so.

As a responsible parent, deciding the appropriate action to take is a tricky affair in this case. I may not entirely solve the problem taking into account that by transferring my child to another class or school I will leave her classmates and schoolmates at risk and they encounter life-threatening problems from the teacher, if the schizophrenia disorder worsens. In addition, disclosing this information to the school management may cause trust issues between the healthcare facility and its patients. Therefore, answers to this scenario is a bit confusing, and it is based on an ethical dilemma.

Relevant Features for Making a Moral Decision

There are two guiding principles in this case that act as a guideline for making a moral decision. One is based on doing the right thing to protect the plight and right of young children who may be in danger. Exposing the nature of the mental condition of the teacher would help the education department to assess the threats that she is likely to pose to children and act accordingly. On the other hand, I would infringe on the patient’s privacy and confidentiality and also risk my job if I disclose the information. Therefore, there are various factors to consider before deciding to or not to share the information.  Some of the factors include the legal implications, the gross effect of my decision to the teacher, and moral principles.

Immanuel Kant’s Kant Recommendations

Kantianism is a philosophical theory that believed that some types of activities such as lying, theft, and murder were outlawed even in situations where such actions would lead to more bliss than alternative actions. In a case of ethical dilemma, there are two questions that must be asked before making an informed decision (Bhaskar, 2014). First, can everybody act as I expect them to act? Second, do the actions I intend to do respect the objectives of other people rather than just using them for my benefits? If the response to any of these questions is negative, then, such course of action should not be pursued (Thompson, 2015). Kant’s theory is a real example of deontological moral reasoning where the appropriateness or unfairness of the actions does not depend on their consequences but on their ability to fulfill human desire. In Kantian theory, there is a supreme principle of morality and moral responsibility.

A deontologist like Immanuel Kant would recommend maintaining the ethical principles of work place because any contravention of such ethics would lead to lies and theft which is against the Kantian principles. Therefore, the disclosure of such confidential information will be considered unethical despite the threats it poses to the children.  According to Reamer (2013), Kantian ethics advocate for free will that provides individuals with dignity and unconditioned worth (Reamer, 2013). Kant believed that only the human beings could follow laws of their own making because they are creatures that are free and freedom enables them to be moral and rational. In a situation like the one presented in the case above, an ethical person can be described as one who would act from the right intentions by reasoning and abiding by rational thinking associated with human beings.

John Stuart Mill’s Recommendations

Mill was an advocate of the utilitarian theory, which significantly contributed to the development of scientific theory. Utilitarianism is an ethical theory that believed that the best course of action in an ethical dilemma is the one that maximizes utility or the well-being of the entities (Thompson, 2015). This type of normative ethics places more emphasis on right and wrongs specifically on the consequences of choosing one action over the other. In this way, the course of action moves away from the scope of an individual’s interest to include the interest of others.

A consequentialist like John Stuart Mill would recommend that the best course of action be based on the best way of utilizing the well-being of the entities. Mill’s concept would encourage on looking for courses of actions and not consequences. Therefore, the theory will support disclosure of the information. Consequentialism addresses the nature and also limits the power that one can legitimately exercise in the society over others (Bhaskar, 2014). Mills advise that it is acceptable to harm oneself at the expense of the society by doing good to others. Self-harm may include sacrificing through acts of omission or commission but also ensuring that our actions are done within the stipulated regulations and ethical principles.

Position Developed On the Ethical Dilemma

Based on the principles of historical ideologists of normative thinking, the course of action, in this case, can be argued in different ways. Using the Kantian philosophical theory prohibits the use of lies, theft or murder to achieve happiness. Therefore, failure to share the information with others would amount to lying. On the other hand, sharing the information with him would amount to theft of data from the organization as well as going against the workplace ethics and oaths of office.

On the other hand, the ethical principles of John Mills would have led to a different course of action.  In the ethical dilemma presented in the example, the most effective way of maximizing the utilities and achieving the best interest of the entities would have been to leak medical information about the teacher (Vogler, 2016). This action emphasizes the course of doing the right thing over contravening the ethical codes of conduct. Therefore, I would base my argument on Mill’s theory and disclose the information to the school’s management. This will help in mitigating potential risks that the children may encounter in future. In addition, disclosing the information is likely to be advantageous to most individuals as opposed to withholding the information to comply with the confidentiality and professional codes of conduct.

References

Bhaskar, R. (2014). The possibility of naturalism: A philosophical critique of the contemporary human sciences. Routledge.

Reamer, F. G. (2013). Social work values and ethics. Columbia University Press.

Shapiro, J. P., & Stefkovich, J. A. (2016). Ethical leadership and decision making in education: Applying theoretical perspectives to complex dilemmas. Routledge.

Thompson, D. F. (2015). John Stuart Mill and representative government. Princeton University Press.

Vogler, C. A. (2016). John Stuart Mill’s Deliberative Landscape (Routledge Revivals): An Essay in Moral Psychology. Routledge.

Phi_2000-Assessment 1 Normative Theories Essay

Normative Theories