UB Center for Clinical
Ethics and Humanities in Health Care

Ethics Committee Core Curriculum

Glossary: Bioethics Terms

Tim Madigan

Abortion

The termination of a pregnancy prior to birth.

Altruism

Derived from the Greek words meaning "self-ruled." A concern primarily with the well-being of others rather than one's own self-interest.

Autonomy

The view that one's actions are independent from the will of others. Moral autonomy is the freedom to reach one's own values about what is right and wrong.

Benificence

Performing an act which is good or which brings about good effects.

Bioethics

Literally "life ethics." An exploration of ethical dilemmas arising in the health care field, as well as relating to medical aspects of human beings. The term was coined by oncologist Van Rensselaer Potter.

Categorical Imperative

A term used by Immanuel Kant to refer to an unconditional duty one is required to perform. An act is immoral if the rule that would authorize it cannot be universalized. Consequences should not be taken into consideration. For example, "physicians have a duty not to lie to their patients". This is a secularized version of "The Golden Rule."

Cognitive

That aspect of human beings that involves rationality and reason.

Competence

A patient's capacity to make decisions about the provision of medical care for him or herself (see also Decision Making Capacity). Competence is also considered to be the legal capacity to make decisions in contrast to capacity/decision making capacity).

Conscience

The view that one has an inner sense of right and wrong, by which one perceives one's possibilities and responsibilities.

Confidentiality

Not divulging information which another has revealed on condition of secrecy.

Consent

A voluntary act by which one person agrees to allow another to do something.

Consequentialism

Ethical theories that are concerned with the consequences that follow from specific actions. Often referred to be the Greek term "teleology", the study of goals. Examples include ethical relativism and utilitarianism.

Cost-Benefit Analysis

Also called "end-justifies-the-means" approach. The idea that one should strive for the greatest benefits deriving from the least cost expended.

Decision Making Capacity

A patient's ability to make decisions about the provision of medical care for him or herself. This is a clinical determination which is specific to the decision at hand. As such, it may vary from time to time, or from decision to decision (see also Competence).

Deontology

Literally "the study of rules." An ethical theory concerned with following the proper duties pertaining to one's given role. Examples include Kant's Categorical Imperative and Divine Command theories. Contrasted with consequentialism.

Descriptive ethics

Describing how people act in given situations or societies. No evaluation is placed on whether such acts are right or wrong.

Duty ethics

The name sometimes attributed to Immanuel Kant's system of ethics because of his stress on performing a moral act out of sense of duty, not inclination.

Emotivism

The theory that morality is primarily based not on reason but rather on human emotions.

Empiricism

Reasoning from experience and sense observation.

Ethical Absolutism

The theory that morality is absolute rather than relative: there are moral truths that must be obeyed at all times, in all situations.

Ethical Egoism

A consequential system of ethics in which one is primarily concerned with one's own self-interest.

Ethical Relativism

The theory that acts are determined to be right or wrong depending upon the society in which one lives. "When in Rome, do as the Romans do."

Ethics

The systematic study of how we ought to act toward ourselves and others.

Euthanasia

A Greek word meaning "happy death". It has come to mean the deliberate ending of a human life. "Active" euthanasia refers to the direct killing of a patient. "Passive" euthanasia involves the withdrawal of medical technologies in order to allow the underl ying disease to take its natural course. "Voluntary" euthanasia means that the act is undertaken at the behest of the patient, and should be distinguished from "nonvoluntary" euthanasia, where the patient has made no such request, and "involunary" euthana sia, where the action is performed against the patient's wishes.

Extraordinary Measures

Any means used to treat a sick or dying person that is out of the ordinary, or heroic.

Human Being

A member of the species homo sapiens.

Inclinations

Actions which humans are inclined to perform out of habit or emotions rather than through reasoning.

Informed Consent

Usually a formal written consent that patients give to health care professionals allowing them to conduct tests, procedures, or experimentation on patients with their complete understanding and agreement.

Morality

From the Latin moralis, meaning "customs or manners." How people act. Ethics is the study of morality.

Nonmaleficence

Not performing an action that would cause harm to a patient. "Above all, first do no harm."

Normative ethics

Theories which prescribe how people should act. Valuation is placed on right or wrong. Contrasted with descriptive ethics.

Obligations

Responsibilities human beings have toward one another by law, morality, custom or tradition.

Ordinary Measures

Distinguished from extraordinary or heroic means of medical treatment of patients: refers to the appropriate treatment that would not be unusual or beyond what should be done in routine situations.

Paternalism

A type of human relationship in which one person acts as a father figure and another acts as a child. In medicine, the view that the physician knows best and should be obeyed.

Person, Personhood

The point at which a human being can be considered to have a personality and is a member of the human moral community.

Prima Facie Duty

Literally a duty "at first glance" or "at face value." Accepting a duty unless there is good reason to question it or examine it further.

Proposition

A statement that asserts a particular view or position.

Proxy Consent

Voluntary informed consent given on behalf of another who is unable for some reason to give it himself or herself.

Rights

Justified claims upon others for actions or nonactions.

Situation ethics

The theory invented by Joseph Fletcher that says there are no moral absolutes except for love - what is moral in any situation is the loving thing to do in that situation.

Slippery Slope Argument

If X is allowed, Y will follow, and Y is ethical unacceptable.

Supererogatory Act

In deontology, an act that goes above and beyond what one is required to perform. Acts of charity are examples of this.

Triage

From the French word for "sorting," in emergency situations where medical care must be rationed, individuals are classified into three categories:

those who will survive even without immediate treatment.
those who won't survive even with immediate treatment.
those who will only survive with immediate treatment.

Utilitarianism

A normative ethical theory that advocates bringing about the greatest good for the greatest number of people. A consequential ethics advocated by John Stuart Mill.

Value

Any object or quality that is found to be desirable or worthwhile.

Virtue ethics

A moral theory that can be traced to the writings of Aristotle, which holds that ethics is concerned with developing a virtuous character.

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Last Revised 3/7/97