Ethical Theory to Ethical Practice - TMedWeb - Tulane University

8/4/11Hedonism: equates happiness with pleasure andpleasure with the good.Non-hedonism: may or may not equate happinesswith pleasure, but never equates the good withpleasureTeleological . theory: We ought to do the action oradopt the rule that will produce the greatest possiblebalance of good over evil.Deontological theory:One decides to act in acertain way in a given situation based solely uponduty (Kant), i.e., what the rules say.Utilitarianism: the determination of what is rightor wrong by determining what position will producethe greatest balance between good over evil in theworld as a whole.Theological voluntarism or the divine commandtheory. The operative in this type is that something“is right or wrong if and only if and because it iscommanded or forbidden by God.”• Seldom are ethical decisions made today using only oneethical theory. Theories are combined and inform eachother.This book will changed the way you practice medicine. It is only126 pages long, but few are able to make their way through it!2