Ethical psychiatry in an uncertain world: conversations and parallel truths
<p>Abstract</p> <p>Psychiatric practice is often faced with complex situations that seem to pose serious moral dilemmas for practitioners. Methods for solving these dilemmas have included the development of more objective rules to guide the practitioner such as utilitarianism and d...
| Main Authors: | , |
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
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BMC
2009-06-01
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| Series: | Philosophy, Ethics, and Humanities in Medicine |
| Online Access: | http://www.peh-med.com/content/4/1/7 |
| _version_ | 1818484326749175808 |
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| author | Lepping Peter Carson Alexander M |
| author_facet | Lepping Peter Carson Alexander M |
| author_sort | Lepping Peter |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | <p>Abstract</p> <p>Psychiatric practice is often faced with complex situations that seem to pose serious moral dilemmas for practitioners. Methods for solving these dilemmas have included the development of more objective rules to guide the practitioner such as utilitarianism and deontology. A more modern variant on this objective model has been 'Principlism' where 4 mid level rules are used to help solve these complex problems. In opposition to this, there has recently been a focus on more subjective criteria for resolving complex moral dilemmas. In particular, virtue ethics has been posited as a more sensitive method for helping doctors to reason their way through difficult ethical issues. Here the focus is on the character traits of the practitioner. Bloch and Green advocated another way whereby more objective methods such as Principlism and virtue ethics are combined to produce what they considered sound moral reasoning in psychiatrists. This paper points out some difficulties with this approach and instead suggests that a better model of ethical judgment could be developed through the use of narratives or stories. This idea puts equal prima facie value on the patient's and the psychiatrist's version of the dilemma they are faced with. It has the potential to lead to a more genuine empathy and reflective decision-making.</p> |
| first_indexed | 2024-12-10T15:53:51Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-da7ed8bcdd7441179fd59c094827227f |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 1747-5341 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-12-10T15:53:51Z |
| publishDate | 2009-06-01 |
| publisher | BMC |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Philosophy, Ethics, and Humanities in Medicine |
| spelling | doaj.art-da7ed8bcdd7441179fd59c094827227f2022-12-22T01:42:43ZengBMCPhilosophy, Ethics, and Humanities in Medicine1747-53412009-06-0141710.1186/1747-5341-4-7Ethical psychiatry in an uncertain world: conversations and parallel truthsLepping PeterCarson Alexander M<p>Abstract</p> <p>Psychiatric practice is often faced with complex situations that seem to pose serious moral dilemmas for practitioners. Methods for solving these dilemmas have included the development of more objective rules to guide the practitioner such as utilitarianism and deontology. A more modern variant on this objective model has been 'Principlism' where 4 mid level rules are used to help solve these complex problems. In opposition to this, there has recently been a focus on more subjective criteria for resolving complex moral dilemmas. In particular, virtue ethics has been posited as a more sensitive method for helping doctors to reason their way through difficult ethical issues. Here the focus is on the character traits of the practitioner. Bloch and Green advocated another way whereby more objective methods such as Principlism and virtue ethics are combined to produce what they considered sound moral reasoning in psychiatrists. This paper points out some difficulties with this approach and instead suggests that a better model of ethical judgment could be developed through the use of narratives or stories. This idea puts equal prima facie value on the patient's and the psychiatrist's version of the dilemma they are faced with. It has the potential to lead to a more genuine empathy and reflective decision-making.</p>http://www.peh-med.com/content/4/1/7 |
| spellingShingle | Lepping Peter Carson Alexander M Ethical psychiatry in an uncertain world: conversations and parallel truths Philosophy, Ethics, and Humanities in Medicine |
| title | Ethical psychiatry in an uncertain world: conversations and parallel truths |
| title_full | Ethical psychiatry in an uncertain world: conversations and parallel truths |
| title_fullStr | Ethical psychiatry in an uncertain world: conversations and parallel truths |
| title_full_unstemmed | Ethical psychiatry in an uncertain world: conversations and parallel truths |
| title_short | Ethical psychiatry in an uncertain world: conversations and parallel truths |
| title_sort | ethical psychiatry in an uncertain world conversations and parallel truths |
| url | http://www.peh-med.com/content/4/1/7 |
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