Introduction
One of the most complex aspects of human existence in the modern world at present include the need to handle medical operations. The reason for such complexity is the involvement of different human elements into the system. Such human elements include emotion, culture, tradition and at times even religion. The field of medicine has been incurring several developments through the years. And somehow, the most common point of medical development incurred is mostly dedicated on how nurses and other medical practitioners could handle particularly complex situations involving human elements that could intervene with the procedures they want to engage in when dealing with the health cases of the patients.
It is in these complex cases that medical ethics come into great play. Moral relativism is one aspect of ethical measurement that allows medical attendants to understand how they are supposed to make decisions amidst the many complexities of the situations they have to face. Being more involved in the case basics of the issues they have to understand and take note of, the medical attendants become more effective in seeing through the different matters that need attention especially when it comes to making a distinct impact on the health status of their patients. It is during these specific situations when the doctors and nurses are able to give attention to the more complex points that make their responsibilities a lot challenging to accomplish.
In this discussion, a presentation on how ethical measures of moral standards is applied in medical cases shall be given attention to. Considering this matter, this documentation shall examine the application of both Immanuel Kant’s and James Rachel’s theory of ethical considerations in relation to how they apply to the modern concepts of handling medical cases that involve ethical concerns in relation to the beliefs and principles that the patients are holding on to.
James Rachel’s Elements of Moral Philosophy
Rachel’s theory on moral relativism addresses the concept of cultural and behavioral relativism among humans which could be accounted for the natural measure of morality. In a way, this indicates that at some point, the way humans view their understanding of what is good and bad based on natural considerations. Most likely, these considerations include the connection of morality in relation to what the social norms suggest, what the religion imposes and what social changes occur [as those changes impact the overall social beliefs of the public through time. It is assumed that through the years, such elements of human belief do change and somehow directly affects the overall function of the society especially in pointing out the application of such thoughts into the actual practices that humans engage in. For instance, in the case being focused upon herein, medical operations, the application of such measures of ethical considerations do provide a good vision of how medical practitioners should provide determinable guidelines to patients regarding their case without putting aside the fact that there are things that they ought to give attention to which usually involve the ethical standards they may have established among themselves.
It is considered by Rachel’s that this truth be given attention to especially in terms of measuring medical aspects of application. He mentions that it is only through this matter that attendees in the said field of expertise are able to give attention to every aspect of human element that they need to consider alongside the need to complete their sworn responsibilities to the public, the patients they are attending to.
This is the reason why when it comes to dealing with people from different nations, carrying into account the differences of culture of communities across the nations is very important especially when determining the more definite course of action that should be taken into account when dealing with complicated situations. One culture differs from another, hence making a distinct indication that treating patients in one nation would highly be different in treating patients coming from other countries. Cancer patients in the Asian nations may not be able to accept western treatments fully because of cultural restrictions. Considerably, westerners may also have some specific requirements and demands when dealing with particular health situations that may not be fully clear to Asian doctors and medical attendees. This is why it is important to take note of such differences among cultures when medical practitioners are still undergoing educational and practical training.
It is from this point that their attitude and behavior towards their patients and the way they are supposed to deal with them could be grounded on solid belief that would give them a better option of making a distinct impact on how the health status of their patients improve accordingly. Knowing that these individuals have their own separate beliefs should also prompt the attendees to become more concerned about how they are to take such issues into careful account especially in the hope of making careful amendments on how patients’ demands and expectations are met.
Kant’s Theory of Morality
The theory of Kant is more dependent on the non-conformity of morality insists that people need to consider one action permissible if it does not in contradiction to anyone else’s beliefs or morals. Rather than saying that one should adjust to what the other believes, Kant imposes that different parties that could not get to understand each other’s side should be able to agree on something and be more open to settlement. This insists that when specifically complex situations occur, the parties involved should be able to create an agreement that is supposed to draw a common foundation that instantiates a good sense of getting into a final decision that both parties would agree upon.
In medical cases, the medical practitioners ought to draw upon different options of solutions to particular healthcare problems that patients are mostly dealing with. From such options, medical practitioners should be able to create specific guidelines that would allow them to become more effective in the course of handling medical issues involving religious and cultural mandates that could keep experts away from completing their responsibilities for those that they owe their service to.
It is only through this approach that people are able to give high attention to the concept of applying effective considerations of giving respect and dignity to other individuals. True, more than just plain beliefs, the moral compass that each person has in himself, established as part of his being, assists every individual to become more concerned about how he completes the tasks that he needs to accomplish. Relatively, such consideration over beliefs give every individual an option to explore the being of each person thus assuming the responsibility that each individual has over his fellow thus making an assumptive consideration on how such matters of ethical standards could be properly addressed.
Practically, Kant’s theories of moral ethics provide a constructive option of developing natural understanding of ethical standards that people in the field of medicine should give attention to. The argument over ethical measures being natural is assumed to make applying such concepts of concern be more effective, determinable and well-guided. The direction that such attention to moral details impose a practical way of seeing how each individual thinks and how the other should react upon it, especially when specific concerns are involved (Stace, 2001). Notably, this invokes the determination of the experts on how to inculcate the culture and tradition of the patients alongside the pattern of operative medication and treatment that the doctors would like to imply.
Implications of Learning and Theoretical Understanding
Morality is such a general concept of determining the connection between human thinking and human actions. Most of the time, people from different backgrounds develop more definite and unique aspects of handling the differences of the people they have to attend to (Williams, 2002). The more exposed the medical practitioners with such cases, the more they become accustomed towards handling situations that most often than not involve the need for them to give attention to how culture and traditions of the people become specifically affective on how medical practices are undergone.
Through time, medical practitioners have seen the importance of considering human aspects of development and improvement, especially in relation to how patients’ concerns are treated with respect. Particularly, these options of operation makes medical applications more effective especially in addressing healthcare issues that involve complex matters due to the treatments that they impose. What makes such option effective is that of the fact that medical practitioners see the need to adjust and take the opportunity to incur advancement on how such concerns are addressed.
For instance, Jehovah’s Witness, among the most dedicated individuals in relation to how they follow their religious affiliations, usually invoke their rights to making their own decisions especially when it comes to dealing with healthcare issues that involve the use of blood. Such issues [involving blood transfusion] often placed medical practitioners and the Jehovah’s Witnesses [as well as their friends and families] in great disagreements. For many years, both parties struggled to create a common ground that would serve as their point of agreement. Such matter has led to the creation of new options of dealing with people needing blood transfusion which is now considered as one of the most important innovations in the field of medical advancements (Wastermarck, 1999).
Conclusion
Moral relativism as means of applying ethical standards in medicine has created a distinct impact on how medical operations are given attention to, especially in dealing with complex situations involving people or patients who require specific medical assistance. The preferences of the public on how they are going to be medically treated based on their religious and personal beliefs ought to be respected well. Based on either Rachel’s or Kant’s pattern of moral theory application, such concept of concern in the field of medical development is a special idealism that needs to be given attention to, which could later on bring about new innovations in medicine that improves the way the public’s needs are addressed accordingly.
References
Stace, Walter T. (2001). The Concept of Morals. New York: The MacMillan Company. p. 67.
Williams, Bernard. (2002). Ethics and the limits of Philosophy. Harvard University Press.
Wastermarck, Edward. (1999). The Origin and Development of the Moral Ideas. McMillan Publishing.
