deontological ethics | Custom PHD Thesis

From the scenario students must develop an ethical case study. The scenario focuses on an event or an issue which the student considers raises significant ethical concerns about what is right or good, creates an ethical dilemma or constitutes an ethically problematic situation for those involved. The scenario addresses a variety of ethical concerns including professional, social, political or personal concerns.

TASK (you should structure the case study in the following way):

1) explain deontological ethics theory and explain it as clearly as you can (highlight its key aspects)

2) Apply deontological ethical theory to the following scenario and explain how the theory provides a basis for rational decision making. You should apply parts of the theory specifically to the scenario. For example specific maxims and imperatives in Deontology and explain how these help you to solve some of the ethical challenges that arise.

3) What are 1 or 2 major strengths and weaknesses of the theory (you should discuss at least one strength and one weakness, and you should draw on research and authoritative academic sources, not mere opinions, here)

4) Explain (briefly) whether or not the chosen ethical theory will help you resolve ethical dilemmas in the future in your own life or in the professional sphere, and why.

The case study is:

A major new study reveals that the cost of cancer drugs is “unjustifiable”. These drugs are important in saving lives and the study argues that such drugs must be made affordable to the patients who need them. The authors reveal that some families have gone bankrupt because of the “extremely” high costs of these drugs. Health experts argue that immunotherapy and work on identifying cancer genomes are not very helpful if patients cannot afford the cost of treatment.

Some pharmaceutical companies respond by arguing that clinical trials are very expensive and may require many thousands of patients. The authors of the study argue that trials can now be conducted with smaller numbers of patients (for example, they point out that a drug used for lung cancer required only 300 or so patients in the clinical trial; they point out also that other drugs can be tested on only 50 or 60 patients. The authors call on researchers to assume “more control”.

You are studying medicine or nursing and you have a well-developed understanding of ethics and applied ethics. What do you think ought to be done in this situation, and why?

Possible resources Deontology (Kantian Ethics)

Korner, S., Kant, Penguin, London 1955.https://learnit.nd.edu.au/bbcswebdav/xid-453230_1

Hill, Thomas E. , “Kantian Normative Ethics”, in David Copp, Editor, The Oxford Handbook of Ethical Theory, OUP, Oxford, 2005 pp.481-504.
http://dx.doi.org.ipacez.nd.edu.au/10.1093/0195147790.001.0001

Reath, Andrews, “Contemporary Kantian Ethics” in John Skorupski, Editor, Routledge Companion to Ethics, Routledge, London, 2010, pp.456-466. http://www.unda.eblib.com.ipacez.nd.edu.au/patron/Read.aspx?p=544048&pg=483

Hales, Stephen, This is Philosophy, Chapter 2 (especially the section on Deontology). http://www.unda.eblib.com.ipacez.nd.edu.au/patron/Read.aspx?p=1120696&pg=53