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Medical Ethics

4 dot points across 4 inquiry questions. Click any dot point for a focused answer with worked past exam questions where available.

Is abortion morally permissible, and how does the moral status of the embryo or foetus settle the question?

Abortion: the moral status of the embryo and foetus (personhood and viability), the rights of the foetus against those of the woman, and religious, sanctity-of-life and quality-of-life arguments.
The ethics of abortion in SQA Advanced Higher RMPS Medical Ethics. Covers the moral status of the embryo and foetus (personhood, potentiality, viability), the conflict between the rights of the foetus and the woman, and religious, sanctity-of-life and quality-of-life arguments, with how to evaluate the debate.
14 min answer →

What ethical theories and principles are used to reason about medical ethics, and how do they shape the conclusions?

Applying ethical theories to medical ethics: utilitarianism, Kantian ethics, the sanctity of life and quality of life, and the four principles of biomedical ethics (autonomy, beneficence, non-maleficence, justice).
The ethical frameworks used in SQA Advanced Higher RMPS Medical Ethics. Covers utilitarianism, Kantian ethics, the sanctity of life and quality of life debate, and the four principles of biomedical ethics (autonomy, beneficence, non-maleficence, justice), and how each shapes conclusions on medical issues.
14 min answer →

Is euthanasia morally permissible, and does a person have a right to choose the time and manner of their death?

Euthanasia: active and passive, voluntary, non-voluntary and involuntary, the acts and omissions distinction and double effect, autonomy and the slippery slope, and sanctity-of-life and quality-of-life arguments.
The ethics of euthanasia in SQA Advanced Higher RMPS Medical Ethics. Covers active and passive, voluntary, non-voluntary and involuntary euthanasia, the acts and omissions distinction and double effect, autonomy and the slippery slope, and sanctity-of-life and quality-of-life arguments, with how to evaluate the debate.
14 min answer →

Is organ transplantation morally acceptable, and how should organs be obtained and allocated?

Organ transplantation: consent and the opt-in versus opt-out (presumed consent) debate, the definition of death, the allocation of scarce organs, the sale of organs, and religious and ethical arguments.
The ethics of organ transplantation in SQA Advanced Higher RMPS Medical Ethics. Covers consent and the opt-in versus opt-out (presumed consent) debate, the definition of death, the allocation of scarce organs, the sale of organs, and religious and ethical arguments, with how to evaluate the debate.
13 min answer →