Academic literature on the topic 'Nature – Moral and ethical aspects'

Background: Ethically difficult situations are frequently encountered by healthcare professionals. Moral case deliberation is one form of clinical ethics support, which has the goal to support staff to manage ethical difficulties. However, little is known which difficult situations healthcare teams need to discuss. Aim: To explore which kinds of ethically difficult situations interprofessional healthcare teams raise during moral case deliberation. Research design: A series of 70 moral case deliberation sessions were audio-recorded in 10 Swedish workplaces. A descriptive, qualitative approach was applied, using thematic content analysis. Ethical considerations: An advisory statement specifying no objections to the study was provided from an Ethical Review Board, and consent to be recorded was assumed by virtue of participation in the moral case deliberation. Findings: Three themes emerged: powerlessness over managing difficult interactions with patients and next-of-kin, unease over unsafe and unequal care, and uncertainty over who should have power over care decisions. The powerlessness comprised feelings of insufficiency, difficulties to respond or manage patient’s/next-of-kin’s emotional needs or emotional outbursts and discouragement over motivating patients not taking responsibility for themselves. They could be uncertain over the patient’s autonomy, who should have power over life and death, disclosing the truth or how much power next-of-kin should have. Discussion: The findings suggest that the nature of the ethically difficult situations brought to moral case deliberations contained more relational-oriented ethics than principle-based ethics, were permeated by emotions and the uncertainties were pervaded by power aspects between stakeholders. Conclusion: MCD can be useful in understanding the connection between ethical issues and emotions from a team perspective.

Much attention has been paid to the role of the nurse in recognizing and addressing ethical dilemmas. There has been less emphasis, however, on the issue of whether or not nurses understand the ethical nature of everyday practice. Awareness of the inherently ethical nature of practice is a component of nurse ethical sensitivity, which has been identified as a component of ethical decision-making. Ethical sensitivity is generally accepted as a necessary precursor to moral agency, in that recognition of the ethical content of practice is necessary before consistent action on behalf of patient interests can take place. This awareness is also compulsory in ensuring patient good by recognizing the unique interests and wishes of individuals, in line with an ethic of care. Scholarly and research literature are used to argue that bolstering ethical awareness and ensuring that nurses understand the ethical nature of the role are an obligation of the profession. Based on this line of reasoning, recommendations for education and practice, along with directions for future research, are suggested.

Nurses may, and often do, experience moral distress in their careers. This is related to the complicated work environment and the complex nature of ethical situations in everyday nursing practice. The outcomes of moral distress may include psychological and physical symptoms, reduced job satisfaction and even inadequate or inappropriate nursing care. Moral distress can also impact retention of nurses. Although research has grown considerably over the past few decades, there is still a great deal about this topic that we do not know including how to deal well with moral distress. A critical key step is to develop a deeper understanding of relational practice as it pertains to moral distress. In this article, exploration of the experience of moral distress among nurses is guided by the key elements of relational ethics. This ethical approach was chosen because it recognizes that ethical practice is situated in relationships and it acknowledges the importance of the broader environment on influencing ethical action. The findings from this theoretical exploration will provide a theoretical foundation upon which to advance our knowledge about moral distress.

Background: The debate over the ethical implications of care robots has raised a range of concerns, including the possibility that such technologies could disrupt caregiving as a core human moral activity. At the same time, academics in information ethics have argued that we should extend our ideas of moral agency and rights to include intelligent machines. Research objectives: This article explores issues of the moral status and limitations of machines in the context of care. Design: A conceptual argument is developed, through a four-part scheme derived from the work of Alasdair MacIntyre. No empirical data are used. Ethical consideration: No primary data were gathered for this study. Secondary sources and authorship have been acknowledged throughout. Findings / discussion: Certain kinds of social experience, including the narrative unity of a life, and the giving and receiving of care, are essential for moral development. Machines, no matter how advanced, cannot participate in such experiences in key respects, and thus cannot develop as practical reasoners. Conclusion: It follows that they cannot be moral agents and that they cannot care. There are, it seems, no such things as care robots. In view of the institutional power of tech companies and commissioning bodies, care practitioners need to take more of a lead in developing new assistive technologies which are appropriate to their practice.

Background: Most undergraduate midwifery curricula comprise ethics courses to strengthen the moral competences of future midwives. By contrast, surprisingly little is known about the specific moral competences considered to be relevant for midwifery practice. Describing these competences not only depends on generic assumptions about the moral nature of midwifery practice but also reflects which issues practitioners themselves classify as moral. Objective: The goal of this study was to gain insight into the ethical issues midwives encounter in their daily work, the key competences and resources they consider indispensable to understand and deal with them, and to assess phenomena linked to moral distress. Methods: We conducted individual semi-structured interviews with eight midwives and two other health professionals, varying in terms of years of experience and work setting. Interview transcripts were analyzed in an interdisciplinary research group, following thematic analysis. Ethical considerations: This study was not subject to approval according to the Swiss Law on Research with Humans. Participants were informed about the study goals and gave written informed consent prior to participation. Results: External constraints limiting the midwife’s and the patient’s autonomy and resulting interpersonal conflicts were found to be the most relevant ethical issues encountered in clinical practice and were most often associated with moral distress. These conflicts often arise in the context of medical interventions midwives consider as not appropriate and situations in which less experienced midwives in particular observe a lack of both interprofessional communication and trust in their professional competence. Ethical issues related to late abortions or prenatal diagnostics and selective abortions were also frequently addressed, but many midwives involved had learned to cope with them. Discussion: In the light of the ethical issues and factors contributing to phenomena of moral distress, an empirically grounded profile of moral competences is drafted. Curricular implications in the light of possible adaptations within undergraduate midwifery education are critically discussed.

Annotation. The article examines the problem of medical researches, which is so relevant and necessary especially today, during the COVID-19 pandemic. It turns out that medical researches have an ethical nature, due to two interrelated aspects – the first aspect relates to professional medical practice, the second – to the patient's personality. Human medical research is based on the "rule of consent". This is necessary to protect the subject of medical research against various threats. The ethical implications of medical research stem from the need to comply with social requirements. The ratio of internal (professional) and external (public) control over medical research is both moral and social problems. Public control over medical research should be limited to such an extent as to leave room for the professional work of scientists. One aspect of this problem is related to the physical well-being of the subject of medical research: an adequate balance between risk and success is determined solely by the physician. The second aspect is related to the well-being of the person being studied as an individual and comes down to the question of who should determine this balance. Physicians attribute this right exclusively to themselves: only they can obtain the necessary information, without putting pressure on their patients. It is important to affirm the "principle of support" for medical research: the only one who can assess the human aspect of research is the subject himself. At first, the patient usually trusts his doctor, but later he must be able to decide how justified this trust was. The scientist-physician must realize that his future as a researcher depends not only on scientific but also moral qualities. On the other hand, fear of the sad consequences of the experiment should not be an obstacle to scientific progress. Important characteristics of the experiment are its reliability and validity. Therefore, medical experiments are an important tool for the development of medical knowledge about a person, about his health.

Background: Medical Assistance in Dying, also known as euthanasia or assisted suicide, is expanding internationally. Canada is the first country to permit Nurse Practitioners to provide euthanasia. These developments highlight the need for nurses to reflect upon the moral and ethical issues that euthanasia presents for nursing practice. Purpose: The purpose of this article is to provide a narrative review of the ethical arguments surrounding euthanasia in relationship to nursing practice. Methods: Systematic search and narrative review. Nine electronic databases were searched using vocabulary developed from a stage 1 search of Medline and CINAHL. Articles that analysed a focused ethical question related to euthanasia in the context of nursing practice were included. Articles were synthesized to provide an overview of the literature of nursing ethics and euthanasia. Ethical Considerations: This review was conducted as per established scientific guidelines. We have tried to be fair and respectful to the authors discussed. Findings: Forty-three articles were identified and arranged inductively into four themes: arguments from the nature of nursing; arguments from ethical principles, concepts and theories; arguments for moral consistency; and arguments from the nature of the social good. Key considerations included nursing’s moral ontology, the nurse–patient relationship, potential impact on the profession, ethical principles and theories, moral culpability for acts versus omissions, the role of intention and the nature of the society in which euthanasia would be enacted. In many cases, the same assumptions, values, principles and theories were used to argue both for and against euthanasia. Discussion: The review identified a relative paucity of literature in light of the expansion of euthanasia internationally. However, the literature provided a fulsome range of positions for nurses to consider as they reflect on their own participation in euthanasia. Many of the arguments reviewed were not nursing-specific, but rather are relevant across healthcare disciplines. Arguments explicitly grounded within the nature of nursing and nurse–patient relationships warrant further exploration.

Background: Providing oncological care to children is demanding and ethical issues concerning what is best for the child can contribute to moral distress. Objectives: To explore healthcare professionals’ experiences of situations that generate moral distress in Swedish paediatric oncology. Research design: In this national study, data collection was conducted using the Swedish Moral Distress Scale-Revised. The data analysis included descriptive statistics and non-parametric analysis of differences between groups. Participants and research context: Healthcare professionals at all paediatric oncology centres in Sweden were invited to participate. A total of 278 healthcare professionals participated. The response rate was 89%. Ethical considerations: In its advisory statement, the Regional Ethical Review Board decided that the study was of such a nature that the legislation concerning ethical reviews was not applicable. All participants received written information about the aim of the study and confidentiality. Participants demonstrated their consent by returning the survey. Findings: The two situations with the highest moral distress scores concerned lack of competence and continuity of personnel. All professional groups reported high levels of disturbance. Nurses rated significantly higher frequencies and higher total Moral Distress Scale scores compared to medical doctors and nursing assistants. Discussion: Lack of competence and continuity, as the two most morally distressing situations, confirms the findings of studies from other countries, where inadequate staffing was reported as being among the top five morally distressing situations. The levels of total Moral Distress Scale scores were more similar to those reported in intensive care units than in other paediatric care settings. Conclusion: The two most morally distressing situations, lack of competence and continuity, are both organisational in nature. Thus, clinical ethics support services need to be combined with organisational improvements in order to reduce moral distress, thereby maintaining job satisfaction, preventing a high turnover of staff and ensuring the quality of care.

Background: Ethical issues are increasingly being reported by care-providers; however, little is known about the nature of these issues within the nursing home. Ethical issues are unavoidable in healthcare and can result in opportunities for improving work and care conditions; however, they are also associated with detrimental outcomes including staff burnout and moral distress. Objectives: The purpose of this review was to identify prior research which focuses on ethical issues in the nursing home and to explore staffs’ experiences of ethical issues. Methods: Using a systematic approach based on Aveyard (2014), a literature review was conducted which focused on ethical and moral issues, nurses and nursing assistants, and the nursing home. Findings: The most salient themes identified in the review included clashing ethical principles, issues related to communication, lack of resources and quality of care provision. The review also identified solutions for overcoming the ethical issues that were identified and revealed the definitional challenges that permeate this area of work. Conclusions: The review highlighted a need for improved ethics education for care-providers.

LANGUAGE NOTE | Document text in Chinese; abstract in English only.Professor Xianglong Zhang’s paper challenges contemporary bioethical discourse by foregrounding questions that have been ignored by modern theorists. One of these questions is whether illness is “ethically neutral.” In my paper, I offer three distinct perspectives on this question. First, I frame the question of ethical neutrality by considering the meaning of illness. Second, I clarify the relationship between ethics and illness. Finally, I discuss the role of illness as a metaphor for aspects of our social and ethical lives. The behavior of the medical profession is commonly linked with moral obligations. There is good reason to believe that the metaphorical relationship between medicine and moral discipline reflects a core dimension of human nature and thus offers useful insights into Wang’s “ethical cure.”DOWNLOAD HISTORY | This article has been downloaded 80 times in Digital Commons before migrating into this platform.

This dissertation comprises a series of five separate papers, arranged as chapters, linked thematically and also in their conclusions. The thematic connection between the chapters is that, in each, I investigate some aspect, either historical or contemporary, of how moral limits have been, or might be, applied to the human manipulation of nature through technology. More specifically, I explore how the concept of naturalness has been, and still is, employed in ethical arguments that seek to place limits upon or defend the use of various technologies. In each chapter, I argue that arguments which appeal to nature or naturalness as a normative concept make proper sense only when understood from the perspective of virtue ethics. The conclusions of each chapter are connected, and connected to the conclusions of the dissertation as a whole: firstly, that what I call 'arguments from nature', as they are used in debates about the moral limitations on the use of technology, are defensible only from within a virtue ethics framework; secondly, that such arguments have an important, although limited, role in such debates; and, finally, that virtue ethics more broadly can inform debates about the ethics of technology and the environment. In the first two chapters, by comparing contemporary debates over the ethics of technological manipulation of nature with historical debates over the proper relationship between art and nature, I demonstrate that virtue ethics have played, and still do play, a significant role in our ethical understanding of our relationship with the non-human world. I argue that the ethical issues that arise from our relationship with the non-human world, in response to advances in technology and to problems with the environment, indicate the need for an understanding of ethics that goes further than the mere consideration of rights and utility. In chapters three and four, I argue that virtue ethical theory provides the most promising understanding of the argument from nature as it is applied in attempts to place limits on the human manipulation of nature. In the final chapter, I explore what a modern environmental or technological virtue or vice might be. I explain and defend the environmental and technological virtue of 'living in place' and, in doing so, bring together and validate the claims made in previous chapters that the appeal to human nature does have a role as a normative guide for our ethical evaluations of how we should live and, more generally, that virtue ethical theory can be of guiding and foundational significance in an overarching ethics of the environment and technology.

Thesis (MPhil)--University of Stellenbosch, 2002.
ENGLISH ABSTRACT: Recent literature on values suggests that advanced, industrial societies are displaying a marked shift away from traditional values that stress material prosperity, physical and economic security towards values that are more expressive of individual freedom, autonomy and growth. According to Inglehart, forces of modernisation and globalisation have initiated a number of systemic level changes, that have ushered in processes of objective and subjective individualisation, dramatically altering the nature and structure of human value orientations and societal norms. Work values, as expressions of general life values in the work context, are no exception to this process. In the new world of work, intrinsic work values that stress personal growth, development and self-determination should gradually replace extrinsic work values such as good pay, job security and status. An understanding of the nature, direction and distribution of such value change could prove invaluable to the organizational practitioner and policy maker, since work values playa pivotal role in shaping organisational structure, process and policy. According to Inglehart, a number of developing countries are displaying similar shifts towards individualised values. Although classified as a middle-income, developing economy, South Africa has undergone a number of prolific economic, political and cultural changes over the last decade that would undoubtedly have altered the nature, direction and distribution of work values in the country. It is in the light of these political, economic and cultural developments that the current study embarked on an analysis of the nature, direction and distribution of work value change in South Africa between 1990 and 2001. The analysis was informed by the proposition that the work values of South Africans citizens should reflect a shift in the direction of individualised work values between 1990 and 2001. South Africans have, however, been exposed to and socialized within vastly different social, economic and political environments. The study has therefore taken cognisance of the fact that work value change in South Africa should reflect the stark cleavages and differences that exist within the population, and attempted to plot the differences in the nature and direction of work values between the various social categories defined by race, gender, educational and occupational level. The secondary analysis of survey data from the South African components of the 1990, 1995 and 2001 World Values Survey was performed in order to fulfil the objectives of the study. Work values of South African citizens were measured in terms of four dimensions, namely work centrality; work values relating to the distribution of power in the organization; work values relating to work preferences; and work values relating to authority systems in the workplace. Use was made of simple uni-variate and bi-variate analysis, as well as the comparison of means where appropriate. The results of the analysis suggest that work values relating to work centrality and the distribution of power in the organisation have become increasingly individualised. Work values relating to work preferences and authority have, however, displayed a trend in opposition to individualisation. Comparisons of work value change across the various sub-groups of the population reflect the changing economic, social and political landscape of South Africa. The data suggests that as various sub-groups of the population are exposed to the systemic level changes characteristic of the new South Africa, traditional value differences informed by race, gender, educational and occupational level will be gradually transformed and replaced by new value patterns untainted by the inequalities of the apartheid era. The analysis concludes by examining a number of explanations for the value changes described, and attempts to infer implications for the formulation and implementation of workplace policy and practice in South Africa. The high and increasing levels of unemployment and the increasing participation of women and previously excluded racial groupings into the South African labour market have increased perceptions of job insecurity in South Africa and have resulted in an expanding number of South Africans placing increased emphasis on traditional work preferences and systems of authority. Should this trend persist, the development of individualised work values will continue to be hindered, rendering the South African business environment less competitive and increasingly fraught with high levels of distrust and uncertainty. We suggest, therefore, that human resource practitioners and policy makers embark on the challenging task of reframing individual perceptions surrounding the meaning of work in South Africa, so as to better prepare South Africans for the challenges brought about by the new world of work
AFRIKAANSE OPSOMMING: Onlangse literatuur oor waardes dui daarop dat vooruitstrewende industriële gemeenskappe 'n merkbare verskuiwing toon weg van tradisionele waardes wat materialistiese welvaart, tasbare en ekonomiese sekuriteit beklemtoon, na waardes wat groter klem lê op individuele vryheid, outonomie en ontwikkeling. Volgens Inglehart het kragte van modernisering en globalisering 'n aantal sistemiese veranderinge teweeg gebring wat op hul beurt prossesse van objektiewe en subjektiewe individualisasie ingelei het en wat aanleiding gegee het tot 'n dramatiese verandering in die aard en struktuur van menslike waarde-orientasies en gemeenskapsnorme. Werkwaardes as uitdrukking van algemene lewenswaardes in die werkkonteks is nie 'n uitsondering in die proses nie. In die nuwe wêreld van werk behoort intrinsieke waardes wat persoonlike groei, ontwikkeling en selfbeskikking beklemtoon, geleidelik ekstrinsieke waardes soos goeie besoldiging, werksekuriteit en status te vervang. 'n Begrip van die aard, rigting en verspreiding van sodanige waarde-verandering kan van onskatbare waarde wees vir die organisatoriese praktisyn en beleidmaker aangesien werkswaardes 'n sentrale rol speel in die vorming van organisatoriese struktuur, prosesse en beleid. Volgens Inglehart vertoon 'n aantalontwikkelende lande 'n soortgelyke verskuiwing na geïndividualiseerde waardes. Alhoewel Suid-Afrika as 'n middel inkomste ontwikkelende ekonomie geklassifiseer word, het dit die afgelope dekade 'n verskeidenheid van ekonomiese, politieke en kulturele veranderinge ondergaan wat ongetwyfeld die aard, rigting en verspreiding van werkswaardes beïnvloed het. Met hierdie politieke, ekonomiese and kulturele ontwikkelinge as agtergrond, onderneem hierdie studie 'n analise van die aard, rigting en verspreiding van die verandering in werkswaardes in Suid-Afrika tussen 1990 en 2001. Die analise is in die veronderstelling dat die werkswaardes van die Suid-Afrikaanse gemeenskap 'n verskuiwing in die rigting van geïndividualiseerde werkswaardes sal weerspieël tussen 1990 en 2001. Suid-Afrikaners is egter blootgestel aan verskillende sosiale, ekonomiese en politieke omgewings. Die studie neem dus kennis van die feit dat werkswaarde-veranderinge in Suid- Afrika die skeiding en verskille wat voorgekom het in die bevolking sal weerspieël en poog om die verskille in die aard en rigting van werkswaardes te demonstreer tussen die verskillende kategorieë gedefinieer volgens ras, geslag, opvoedings- en beroepsvlak. Die sekondêre analise van opname data van die Suid Afrikaanse komponente van die 1990, 1995 en 2001 "World Values Survey" is ontleed ten einde uitvoering te gee aan die doelstellings van die studie. Werkwaardes van Suid-Afrikaners is gemeet aan die hand van vier dimensies, nl. werksentraliteit; werkswaardes wat verband hou met die verspreiding van mag in die organisasie; werkswaardes wat verband hou met werksvoorkeure, en werkswaardes wat gerig is op gesagstelsels in die werkplek. Gebruik is gemaak van enkelvariansie en dubbelvariansie analise asook die vergelyking van middelpunt, waar van toepassing. Die resultate van die ondersoek dui daarop dat werkswaardes wat verband hou met werksentraliteit en die verspreiding van mag in die organisasie toenemend geïndividualiseerd geraak het. Werkswaardes verwant aan werksvoorkeure en gesag demonstreer egter 'n duidelike neiging in stryd met individualisasie. Vergelyking van werkswaarde-veranderinge oor die verskillende sub-groepe van die bevolking weerspieël die veranderende ekonomiese, sosiale en politieke landskap van Suid-Afrika. Die data dui aan dat soos verskillende sub-groepe van die bevolking blootgestel word aan die sistemiese-vlak veranderings eie aan die nuwe Suid-Afrika, tradisionele waarde-verskille as gevolg van ras, geslag, opvoeding- en beroepsvlak, geleidelik sal verander en vervang word deur nuwe waarde-oriëntasies onbevlek deur die ongelykhede van die apartheidsera. Die analise sluit af deur 'n aantal verduidelikings vir die waarde-veranderings te ondersoek en poog om implikasies af te lei vir die formulering en implementering vir werkplekbeleid en praktyk in Suid-Afrika. Die hoë en steeds toenemende vlakke van werkloosheid, die toenemende toetrede van vrouens en voorheen benadeelde rassegroeperings tot die Suid Afrikaanse arbeidsmark het die persepsie van lae werksekuriteit in Suid-Afrika verhoog en het tot gevolg dat 'n toenemende aantal Suid-Afrikaners groter klem plaas op tradisionele werksvoorkeure en sisteme van gesag. Sou die tendens voortduur, sal dit die ontwikkeling van geïndividualiseerde werkswaardes belemmer, wat tot gevolg sal hê dat die Suid-Afrikaanse besigheidsomgewing minder kompeterend sal wees, met toenemende vlakke van wantroue en onsekerheid. Ek stel dus voor dat menslike hulpbron praktisyns en beleidsmakers begin met die uitdagende taak om individuele persepsies te beïnvloed met betrekking tot die betekenis van werk in Suid-Afrika ten einde Suid-Afrikaners beter voor te berei vir die uitdagings daargestel deur die nuwe wêreld van werk.

Le contexte historique et épistémologique de l’émergence de la génétique des comportements en tant que discipline trouve ses racines dans différentes disciplines biologiques :la génétique, la biologie de l’évolution et la biologie moléculaire. Ces dernières font partie du paradigme néodarwinien moléculaire. De cette origine, elle a hérité deux grands domaines de recherche, la génétique quantitative et la génétique moléculaire. Ils ont chacun des objectifs et des méthodologies différents. Les études concernant l’intelligence, les comportements agressifs, les comportements addictifs et l’orientation sexuelle permettent notamment d’illustrer ces différences. Elles permettent également de faire un état des lieux des recherches menées dans ce domaine parfois hautement polémique. En fait, la génétique des comportements est marquée par deux ères épistémologiques, l’ère génomique qui a débuté dans les années 1980 et l’ère post-génomique, qui comme son nom l’indique, lui succède dès le début des années 2000. Les résultats apportés par l’ensemble de ces recherches imposent une conclusion, les approches théoriques et techniques phares de l’ère génomique sont insuffisantes à rendre compte de la complexité des phénomènes développementaux liés aux comportements. L’ère post-génomique tente donc de combler les faiblesses de l’ère précédente. Ainsi, la biologie développementale revient au premier plan et ce retour est souhaité depuis longtemps par un courant philosophique majeur né dans les années 1990, la Developmental Systems Theory. L’ère post-génomique est également caractérisée par un pluralisme pragmatique, à la fois théorique et expérimental. La nécessité de multiplier les modes d’appréhension des comportements s’impose car leur complexité intrinsèque est reconnue et tend à être assumée. Les résultats plus récents apportés par les recherches sur l’intelligence, les comportements agressifs, addictifs et l’orientation sexuelle illustrent cette évolution épistémologique. L’opposition entre inné et acquis échoue à rendre compte de la complexité et du dynamisme développemental des phénotypes comportementaux./ The historical and epistemological context of the birth of behavioral genetics as a discipline has its roots in different biological domains: genetics, evolutionary biology and molecular biology. They are parts of the molecular neo-Darwinian paradigm. From this multiple outset, behavioral genetics has inherited two major areas of research, quantitative genetics and molecular genetics. They each have different purposes and methodologies. The study of researches on IQ, aggressive behaviors, addictive behaviors and sexual orientation illustrate these differences. It also permits to make an overview of results provided in this field that is sometimes highly controversial. In fact, behavioral genetics is marked by two epistemological eras, the genomic era that began in the 1980s and the postgenomic era that began by the early 2000s. The results provided by all these researches lead to one conclusion, the theoretical and technical approaches of the genomic era is insufficient to show the complexity of developmental phenomena associated with behaviors. The postgenomic era attempts to correct the weaknesses of the previous era. Thus, developmental biology comes back in the foreground and the necessity of this return has been defended by a major philosophical theory born in 1990, the Developmental Systems Theory. The postgenomic era is also characterized by a theoretical and experimental pragmatic pluralism. The complexity of the developmental patterns of behaviors is recognized and tends to be assumed. The latest results produce by researches on IQ, aggressive behaviors, addiction and sexual orientation illustrate these epistemological changes. The opposition between nature and nurture fails to properly apprehend the developmental dynamism of behavioral phenotypes.
Doctorat en Philosophie
info:eu-repo/semantics/nonPublished

In acknowledging past abuses of humans in research contexts, and recognising the potential for malpractices in Human Movement Studies (HMS), this study evaluated the extent to which ethical issues are addressed in the discipline. The primary method consisted of the standard techniques of philosophic analysis, with empirical data complementing the conclusions. In general, the study contends that insufficient attention is paid to ethical issues in HMS research. In response to a set of specifically constructed, ethically problematic research proposals, only 1.8% of comments from senior researchers advocated rejection of the proposals on ethical grounds. Also, a journal search indicated that consideration of ethical issues in published research may largely be absent. Questionnaire responses revealed that South African HMS departments may be deficient in terms of accountability towards ethical guidelines. Whilst noting the existence of utilitarian ethics in HMS research, it is advocated that deontologic principles should take precedence. Further, only a sound educative effort will produce improvements. In conclusion, this study advocates a deontology-based approach to research ethics. This is consistent with the contention that the use of humans in research is a privilege, and that the rights of participants ought to outweigh the desire of researchers to conduct research.

Thesis (MA)--Stellenbosch University, 2001.
ENGLISH ABSTRACT: Suicide is a truly philosophical problem. Judging whether life is or not worth living amounts to answering the fundamental question of philosophy. In Africa, suicide is not uncommon as evidenced by the Botswana experience. Suicide acts are the forefront of the daily existence even today. Suicide is felt in different areas of Botswana and while the study draws heavily on Africa especially Botswana, reference is also made to countries outside Africa. Hence, suicide in this thesis is not addressed in a restrictive manner. But its manifestation in essence is assessed in a general mode. This implies that the escalation of suicide is viewed from the sociological, psychological and philosophical implications. Although it is not easy to accept and live with suicide, people are beginning to accommodate it as an inevitable concept. However, the family and friends of a person who has committed suicide still feels ashamed, humiliated and sometimes guilty. The aim of this assignment is to analyse and evaluate the moral argument for and against suicide and to focus on the moral implications of committing suicide. While agreeing that individuals' autonomy are personal, the writer tries to suggest a way out of this self-destruction (suicide) which is just a means to an end and not an end in itself. The writer in the concluding chapter tries to explore the pros and cons of suicide, and comes up with the conclusion that the right to live should be given attention than the right to die, at least to preserve its generations which all creatures strive for. Areas of focus: • The concept of Suicide • The nature and incidence of Suicide. • Arguments in favour of Suicide • Arguments against Suicide • The Suicide I Euthanasia Debate
AFRIKAANSE OPSOMMING: Selfmoord is 'n ware filosofiese probleem. Om te oordeel of 'n lewe die moeite werd is om gelewe te word, vereis 'n antwoord op 'n fundamentele vraag van filosofie. In Afrika is selfmoord nie ongewoon nie, soos gesien in die geval van Botswana. Selfmoord kom baie algemeen daar voor. Selfmoord word aangetref in verskeie areas in Botswana, en, alhoewel die studie fokus op Afrika - en spesifiek Botswana, word daar ook verwys na lande buite Afrika. Maar die manifestasie daarvan word in essensie en in die algemeen aangespreek. Dit beteken dat die toename in selfmoord in terme van die verskynsel se sosiologiese, sielkundige en filosofiese implikasies aangespreek word. Alhoewel dit nie maklik is on selfmoord te aanvaar en mee saam te leef nie, begin mense dit aanvaar as 'n onvermydelike verskynsel. Maar die familie van 'n persoon wat selfmoord gepleeg het voel steeds skaam, verneder en soms skuldig. Die doel van hierdie werkstuk is om die argumente vir en teen selfmoord te analiseer, te evalueer, en om te fokus op die morele implikasies van selfmoord. Alhoewel die outeur saamstem dat individue outonoom is, word sterk teen die morele aanvaarbaarheid van selfmoord geargumenteer. In die gevolgtrekking ondersoek die outeur die voordele en nadele van selfmoord en eindig met die bevinding dat die reg tot lewe meer aandag behoort te kry as die sg. reg om te sterf. Areas waarop gefokus word: • Die konsep "selfmoord" as sodanig • Die aard van selfmoord en (hoe algemeen dit voorkom.) • Argumente ten gunste van selfmoord • Argumente teen selfmoord • Die selfmoord -genadedood debat

Ethics is not a new or modern discipline. It was developed thousands of years ago and still remains relevant today. Ethics is applied in all spheres of modern life from philosophy to business and religious environments and even around dinner table conversations. It is applicable to all areas of life. This research is aimed at investigating whether ethical conduct among new entry level emerging contractors can contribute to and ensure their sustainable competitiveness within the South African construction industry. This research is also aimed at determining whether education and knowledge of entrepreneurship, business, project and construction management and building contracts can contribute to new entry level emerging contractors’ ethical conduct and sustainable competitiveness. The literature reviewed and results of quantitative and qualitative research amongst professional consultants in South Africa formed the basis of the study. Ethics is a sensitive topic within the industry and therefor it is difficult to gather data directly from contractors, as they are reluctant to participate in fear of revealing their identities and having it negatively influencing their personal and business credentials. Therefor unbiased respondents who were not directly linked to emerging contractors and who were unafraid to give objective opinions were questioned. These unbiased respondents included consultants within the industry. The study revealed that ethics is an important factor in any business environment and that the correct application thereof can partially contribute to the sustainable competitiveness of new entry level emerging contractors and this in turn can promote the long term survival of a business. Furthermore, knowledge of good management practices and building contracts can contribute to a successfully run business. However, the average new entry level emerging contractor has insufficient experience and knowledge of the management of construction projects, as well as building contracts.

This study examined the ethical decision-making process as it transpired in the everyday context of the therapeutic space. In-depth interviews explored the subjective experiences of six South African psychologists, practicing as psychoanalytic psychotherapists, and their efforts to resolve real-life ethical dilemmas. The theoretical framework used to interpret the data subsumed professional literature in psychology on principle-based ethical decision-making as well as contemporary psychoanalytic debates on the phenomenon of countertransference enactments. A review of ethics codes, survey research and seminal decision-making frameworks suggests that ethical dilemmas have traditionally been resolved by recourse to an objective and impartial “principle ethics” perspective. Empirical evidence shows, however, that logical thinking and the rational application of codes, principles and standards are often insufficient to secure ethical action. The establishment of reflective space and the core theoretical notion of “ethical decision-making enactments” were proposed in order to address the subjective, irrational and unconscious dimension of professional decision-making. This study used a broadly hermeneutic research method which transformed participants‟ descriptions of engagement with real-life dilemmas into a psychoanalytically informed interpretive account of ethical decision-making. Twelve aspirational ethical principles were found to guide participants‟ daily analytic work. Beneficence was the principle most strongly identified with and nonmaleficence was the most neglected ethical principle. Unprocessed countertransference responses were shown to drive earlier prereflective phases of the ethical decision-making process. Mature ethical judgment was predicated upon the retrospective analysis of enactment phenomena. Dissatisfaction was expressed by all participants with regard to the role of professional resources in aiding the resolution of stressful ethical dilemmas. Risk factors for compromised professional decision-making included the paucity and perceived irrelevance of postgraduate ethics training, supervisory failure to confront the ethical and countertransference dimensions of common dilemmas and professional isolation. Rather than eliciting the hope of emotional support and greater insight, professional resources on the contrary mostly appeared to induce anxiety, mistrust and fearfulness. Based on the data and the literature, a pragmatic psychoanalytically informed ethical decision-making model was finally generated. The model, which considers both principle ethics as well as countertransference phenomena, offers a preliminary contribution to professional dialogue on the development and evaluation of empirically based decision-making frameworks. Practical recommendations are made for both the revision of the current South African ethics code and for improving the postqualifying ethics education of psychoanalytic practitioners and supervisors. The limitations of the data are discussed and directions for future research initiatives are proposed.

A new morality is generated in the present scientific and technical environment, and a new ethics is needed, an ethics which may be found in both individual and social morality, which can guide a moral evolution of different cultural fields and which has the chance to keep alive the moral culture itself. This chapter points out first the scientific, technical, and philosophical premises of artificial ethics. The specific, the status, and the role of artificial ethics is described by selecting ethical procedures, norms, and values that are suitable to be applied both by human and artificial moral agents. Moral intelligence as a kind of practical intelligence is studied and its role in human and artificial moral conduct is evaluated. Common features of human and artificial moral agents are presented. Specific features of artificial moral agents are analyzed. Artificial ethics is presented as part of the multi-set of artificial cognition, discovery, activity, organization, and evolution ways. A meta-ethical survey establishes the place of artificial ethics within the group of new and emergent ethical fields of the computer culture. Natural and artificial evolution are studied from an interdisciplinary and even from an intercultural perspective, and the co-evolution of human and artificial moral agents is sketched by means of technological and social prognosis.

Notwithstanding the potential of IoT to revolutionise our personal and social lives, the absence of a solid framework of ethics may lead to situations where smart devices are used in ways uncongenial to the moral fabric of a society. In this work, the authors seek to provide a conceptual framework toward incorporating ethics in IoT. They employ the concept of object for each smart device in order to represent ethics relevant to its context. Moreover, the authors propose dedicating a separate ethics layer in the protocol stack of smart devices to account for socio-cultural ethical aspects of a society. The ethics layer enables us to account for ethical responsibilities of smart devices vis-a-vis society so that inadvertent physical, emotional or psychological harm to human beings is avoided. Such mechanism ensures that devices operate ethically not only at individual level but also at D2D level to give rise to high order ethical structures e.g. ethical home, ethical office, ethical university, ethical city, etc.

Is it possible to explain social and ethical aspects of technology in society without considering the human minds and actions intertwined within technological advances? Can legal and ethical questions concerning agency in autonomous machines be addressed without meditating on the conditions of consciousness required for agency? The answer to both these questions is no. A persistent problem in the study of technology today is the lack of attention to the nature of the human mind and how it fits into the real world of technology. Scholars have tended to draw on philosophical-sociological theory and group themselves into camps (e.g., technological determinism, social constructivism, actor-network theory, etc.). Most of these theories, however, fail to address the human side of technology that lies within ‘individual’ minds and bodies that affect and are affected by technology at a deeply personal level. In other words, the mental life of human subjects is not a core consideration in the study of technology in society. What remains is a persisting problem within a continually advancing technological society to understand the relationship between technology, consciousness, and society.

Is it possible to explain social and ethical aspects of technology in society without considering the human minds and actions intertwined within technological advances? Can legal and ethical questions concerning agency in autonomous machines be addressed without meditating on the conditions of consciousness required for agency? The answer to both these questions is no. A persistent problem in the study of technology today is the lack of attention to the nature of the human mind and how it fits into the real world of technology. Scholars have tended to draw on philosophical-sociological theory and group themselves into camps (e.g., technological determinism, social constructivism, actor-network theory, etc.). Most of these theories, however, fail to address the human side of technology that lies within ‘individual’ minds and bodies that affect and are affected by technology at a deeply personal level. In other words, the mental life of human subjects is not a core consideration in the study of technology in society. What remains is a persisting problem within a continually advancing technological society to understand the relationship between technology, consciousness, and society.

This chapter discusses the groundwork for constructing a qualified ethical cosmopolitan position. It maintains that normative International Relations (IR) theory must respond to the attempts to challenge the very nature of morality. The chapter distinguishes between two distinct aspects of any moral perspective, namely: the understanding of the moral agent upon which it relies, and the ‘sphere of equal moral standing’ that it allows.

The article is devoted to the study of problematic aspects of the implementation of the mediation procedure in Russia. The author noted that mediation on the path of its development in the country encountered a number of obstacles of a moral, ethical, psychological, economic and legislative nature, the solution and settlement of which requires certain efforts both from the side of society and public organizations, and from the state. Using the method of analytical review of theoretical and practical developments of domestic researchers and legislative documents, the article identifies the following problems of mediation: low legal culture of the population; lack of confidence in this service; lack of awareness of society as a whole, and of citizens in particular, about mediation, its advantages as an alternative to the trial method; the position of the parties that do not want to compromise; the difficulty of choosing a mediator - as a highly professional person; mainly the social foundations for the development of mediation and insufficient state support. These problems are interrelated, therefore, their solution requires an integrated approach.

Autonomous and intelligent technical systems are specifically designed to reduce the necessity for human intervention in our daily lives. In so doing, these new computer-based systems are also raising concerns about their impact on individuals and society. Because of their innovative nature, the full benefit will be obtained only if the technology is aligned with society's defined values guided by ethical principles. Through the proposed ethically aligned curriculum (ETHIKA) for computer sciences (CS) and information technology (IT) specialties we intend, therefore, to establish frameworks to guide and inform dialogue and debate around the non-technical implications, in particular related to ethical dilemmas. Hereby we understand "ethical" to go beyond universal moral constructs, such as trust, harm, good or bad, and include ethical designs for AI-based technologies, socially-oriented computer sciences, and ethical risks of digital society. As digital economy prospers, more CS/IT-professionals realize the power of education-driven intellectual capacity (InCED). It is hypothesized, that InCED has direct impact on learning competencies of students, warranting future successful management of professional and life ethical challenges. ETHIKA elucidate, through both methodological and experimental inquiries, the impact of global digitalization and related ethical risks on learning and professional competencies in both professional CS/IT-community and the University students.

Ecological attitude education in primary school is both important and special. That way fundamental moral values of a young person are formed. Every day increasing ecological problems become much more diverse. It is important to develop a man able to perceive the current ecological situation and able to live in a harmonious interaction with nature. It is sought that ethical, aesthetical, psychological, juridical person’s relationship with nature would become the criterion of culture. The formation of a positive relationship with the surrounding world, the environment remains a very significant element of education in a primary school. It is hopeful that the attitudes with respect to nature formed at this ontogenesis stage will remain for the whole life. In this context, it is very important to appropriately diagnose the current attitude structure and on the basis of diagnostics correspondingly organise the education process. In April 2019 a pilot research was carried out, in which 127 primary school fourth class students took part. It was stated that in the attitude structure of this age children, the aesthetic attitude was prevalent. The last according to the ranking was the ethical attitude. Correspondingly, in the second position was the cognitive, and in the third – the pragmatic one. Keywords: diagnostic research, ecological attitudes, pilot research, primary school.

The article describes the social and pedagogical aspects of training a computer specialist in the modern information space. The features of the virtual environment of activity are considered, attention is paid to the social directions of professional training of a computer specialist, in particular, ethical responsibility. Attention is focused on the nature and types of social consequences and spiritual and cultural changes generated by the informatization of society, determined by the social conditions in which the informatization process takes place, and the problem itself is due to the relationship between the man, computer, and society. The advantages and risks of training professionals in the given specialty are indicated and the main possible approaches are substantiated. It is shown that with the emergence of a new type of information life, which is considered as a general humanitarian philosophical problem, it is necessary to humanize professional education. The problems of the theoretical analysis and determination of the ontological status of virtual reality, the phenomenon of human computer dependence are described. It is indicated that a special responsibility lies with computer specialists, whose professional training should include not only the assimilation of educational material to ensure successful professional activity in the future, but it must take into account the social needs of society.

Modern biomedical technologies pose bioethical dilemmas for humanity. On the one hand, medical advances can make life much easier for people, but, on the other hand, the problem of interference in human nature actualizes the most fundamental questions regarding his ontology, the boundaries of permissible transformations, the responsibility of a scientist and a specialist who applies the latest technologies, for remote and unpredictable consequences, due to the integrity and interconnectedness of various aspects of human nature. In the scientific literature, there is a lot of information about the attitude of various denominations to genetic manipulation. This paper presents the experience of generalizing and systematizing the attitude of the main Christian confessions to the problem of editing the human embryo genome. The assessment of modern biomedical technologies from the standpoint of the Christian worldview differs, on the one hand, in the moral depth due to spiritual experience in relation to the higher divine principle, and, on the other hand, if we bear in mind the specificity of the Orthodox, Catholic and Protestant views on the problem of genetic manipulations, it is diversity interpretations in connection with historically arisen and existing to this day confessional and doctrinal differences.

статья посвящена анализу творческого наследия Э.В. Ильенкова, связанного с осмыслением проблемы критического мышления и роли школьного образования в его формировании. Размышления философа носят междисциплинарный характер, затрагивая философские, педагогические и психологические вопросы. Особое место в работах Э.В. Ильенкова отводится вопросам морали и нравственности, на основе которых формирование критического мышления у школьников реализуется уже на уровне начальных классов. Автор делает вывод о том, что обращение к работам философа способствует переосмыслению взглядов на современное образование, разрешению противоречий, связанных с этическими вопросами современности, а также дает возможность акцентировать внимание на роли учителя в образовательном процессе, направленном на воспитание критически мыслящей и духовно-нравственной личности. the article is devoted to the analysis of the creative heritage of E.V. Ilyenkov, associated with the comprehension of the problem of critical thinking and the role of school education in its formation. It is shown that the philosopher's thoughts are interdisciplinary in nature, affecting philosophical, pedagogical, and psychological issues. A special place in the works of E.V. Ilyenkova is devoted to questions of morality, based on which the formation of critical thinking in schoolchildren is realized already at the level of elementary grades. The author concludes that the appeal to the works of the philosopher contributes to the rethinking of views on modern education, the resolution of contradictions related to ethical issues of our time, and also makes it possible to focus on the role of the teacher in the educational process aimed at educating critically thinking and spiritually - moral personality.

The main recommendations of the panel report can be summarised under five key headings:  HUMANITY The Panel recommends recognition that research in this field should be geared towards the development of critical understandings of self and society in the modern world. Archaeological research into the modern past should be ambitious in seeking to contribute to understanding of the major social, economic and environmental developments through which the modern world came into being. Modern-world archaeology can add significantly to knowledge of Scotland’s historical relationships with the rest of the British Isles, Europe and the wider world. Archaeology offers a new perspective on what it has meant to be a modern person and a member of modern society, inhabiting a modern world.  MATERIALITY The Panel recommends approaches to research which focus on the materiality of the recent past (i.e. the character of relationships between people and their material world). Archaeology’s contribution to understandings of the modern world lies in its ability to situate, humanise and contextualise broader historical developments. Archaeological research can provide new insights into the modern past by investigating historical trends not as abstract phenomena but as changes to real lives, affecting different localities in different ways. Archaeology can take a long-term perspective on major modern developments, researching their ‘prehistory’ (which often extends back into the Middle Ages) and their material legacy in the present. Archaeology can humanise and contextualise long-term processes and global connections by working outwards from individual life stories, developing biographies of individual artefacts and buildings and evidencing the reciprocity of people, things, places and landscapes. The modern person and modern social relationships were formed in and through material environments and, to understand modern humanity, it is crucial that we understand humanity’s material relationships in the modern world.  PERSPECTIVE The Panel recommends the development, realisation and promotion of work which takes a critical perspective on the present from a deeper understanding of the recent past. Research into the modern past provides a critical perspective on the present, uncovering the origins of our current ways of life and of relating to each other and to the world around us. It is important that this relevance is acknowledged, understood, developed and mobilised to connect past, present and future. The material approach of archaeology can enhance understanding, challenge assumptions and develop new and alternative histories. Modern Scotland: Archaeology, the Modern past and the Modern present vi Archaeology can evidence varied experience of social, environmental and economic change in the past. It can consider questions of local distinctiveness and global homogeneity in complex and nuanced ways. It can reveal the hidden histories of those whose ways of life diverged from the historical mainstream. Archaeology can challenge simplistic, essentialist understandings of the recent Scottish past, providing insights into the historical character and interaction of Scottish, British and other identities and ideologies.  COLLABORATION The Panel recommends the development of integrated and collaborative research practices. Perhaps above all other periods of the past, the modern past is a field of enquiry where there is great potential benefit in collaboration between different specialist sectors within archaeology, between different disciplines, between Scottish-based researchers and researchers elsewhere in the world and between professionals and the public. The Panel advocates the development of new ways of working involving integrated and collaborative investigation of the modern past. Extending beyond previous modes of inter-disciplinary practice, these new approaches should involve active engagement between different interests developing collaborative responses to common questions and problems.  REFLECTION The Panel recommends that a reflexive approach is taken to the archaeology of the modern past, requiring research into the nature of academic, professional and public engagements with the modern past and the development of new reflexive modes of practice. Archaeology investigates the past but it does so from its position in the present. Research should develop a greater understanding of modern-period archaeology as a scholarly pursuit and social practice in the present. Research should provide insights into the ways in which the modern past is presented and represented in particular contexts. Work is required to better evidence popular understandings of and engagements with the modern past and to understand the politics of the recent past, particularly its material aspect. Research should seek to advance knowledge and understanding of the moral and ethical viewpoints held by professionals and members of the public in relation to the archaeology of the recent past. There is a need to critically review public engagement practices in modern-world archaeology and develop new modes of public-professional collaboration and to generate practices through which archaeology can make positive interventions in the world. And there is a need to embed processes of ethical reflection and beneficial action into archaeological practice relating to the modern past.