Journal

Bioethics and Medicine: utilitarianism in the field of health as a timeless value

№ 9, 2021

Bioethics and Medicine: utilitarianism in the field of health as a timeless value

Nikolaos K. Barakos

can. Master of Medicine, researcher in the University of West Attica (Athens, Greece)

nikolasbarakos@gmail.com

Number DOI: http://doi.org/10.33209/2519-4348-2707-9627-2021-9-107

VB. – № 9, 2021. – P. 275-281

Summary

In this study we will look at utility in the context of health with reference to patients who need medical help at home. In recent years, the ethics and especially the bioethics associated with medicine has begun to occupy more and more scientists. An important trigger for its emergence was the public reaction regarding the medical experiments but also the various hospital scandals that caused great unrest in the societies. in utilitarian theory one can diagnose some problems, such as the lack in practice of the complete documentation of the content of the terms pleasure, bliss and happiness in general. Moreover, the utilitarianism of the act is based only on quantitative criteria and ignores the qualitative ones, so even immoral acts can be legalized. On the other hand, utilitarianism with rules has as its main disadvantage that the adoption of various rules contributes to the reduction of the general level of happiness-bliss. As a result, the basic principle of utilitarianism “greater happiness for a larger number of people” is not satisfied.

Key words: utilitarianism, hospital scandals, medical experiments, eudaimonia

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