Ethics by opinion poll?: The functions of attitudes research for normative deliberations in medical ethics
Journal of Medical Ethics 40 (9):597-602 (2014)
Abstract |
Empirical studies on people's moral attitudes regarding ethically challenging topics contribute greatly to research in medical ethics. However, it is not always clear in which ways this research adds to medical ethics as a normative discipline. In this article, we aim to provide a systematic account of the different ways in which attitudinal research can be used for normative reflection. In the first part, we discuss whether ethical judgements can be based on empirical work alone and we develop a sceptical position regarding this point, taking into account theoretical, methodological and pragmatic considerations. As empirical data should not be taken as a direct source for normative justification, we then delineate different ways in which attitudes research can be combined with theoretical accounts of normative justification in the second part of the article. Firstly, the combination of attitudes research with normative-ethical theories is analysed with respect to three different aspects: The extent of empirical data which is needed, the question of which kind of data is required and the ways in which the empirical data are processed within the framework of an ethical theory. Secondly, two further functions of attitudes research are displayed which lie outside the traditional focus of ethical theories: the exploratory function of detecting and characterising new ethical problems, and the field of ‘moral pragmatics’. The article concludes with a methodological outlook and suggestions for the concrete practice of attitudinal research in medical ethics
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DOI | 10.1136/medethics-2012-101253 |
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References found in this work BETA
Empirical Ethics as Dialogical Practice.Guy Widdershoven, Tineke Abma & Bert Molewijk - 2009 - Bioethics 23 (4):236-248.
Justice and Justification: Reflective Equilibrium in Theory and Practice.Norman Daniels - 1996 - Cambridge University Press.
Empirical Ethics, Context-Sensitivity, and Contextualism.Albert Musschenga - 2005 - Journal of Medicine and Philosophy 30 (5):467 – 490.
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Citations of this work BETA
The Normative Background of Empirical-Ethical Research: First Steps Towards a Transparent and Reasoned Approach in the Selection of an Ethical Theory.Sabine Salloch, Sebastian Wäscher, Jochen Vollmann & Jan Schildmann - 2015 - BMC Medical Ethics 16 (1):20.
Research Across the Disciplines: A Road Map for Quality Criteria in Empirical Ethics Research.Marcel Mertz, Julia Inthorn, Günter Renz, Lillian Geza Rothenberger, Sabine Salloch, Jan Schildmann, Sabine Wöhlke & Silke Schicktanz - 2014 - BMC Medical Ethics 15 (1):17.
Research Participants’ Perceptions and Views on Consent for Biobank Research: A Review of Empirical Data and Ethical Analysis.Flavio D'Abramo, Jan Schildmann & Jochen Vollmann - 2015 - BMC Medical Ethics 16 (1):60.
Reproductive Outsourcing: An Empirical Ethics Account of Cross-Border Reproductive Care in Canada.Vincent Couture, Régen Drouin, Jean-Marie Moutquin, Patricia Monnier & Chantal Bouffard - 2019 - Journal of Medical Ethics 45 (1):41-47.
Der Beitrag Qualitativer Sozialforschung Zur Handlungsorientierenden Medizinethischen Forschung. Eine Methodenreflexion Am Beispiel des ETHICO-Projekts.Jan Schildmann, Sebastian Wäscher, Sabine Salloch & Jochen Vollmann - 2016 - Ethik in der Medizin 28 (1):33-41.
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