Ethics for Professionals 102a: Ethical Problems, Ethical Distress and Ethical Dilemmas

Course overview

Identify the goal of professional ethics activity. Describe the basic idea of a caring response and some ways this response in a professional relationship is distinguished from expressions of care in other types of relationships. Identify three component parts of any ethical problem. Describe what an agent is and, more importantly, what it is to be a moral agent. Name the three prototypical ethical problems. Describe the role of emotions in ethical distress. Distinguish between two varieties of ethical distress. Compare the fundamental difference between ethical distress and an ethical dilemma. Define ethical paternalism or parentalism. Describe a type of ethical dilemma that challenges a professionals desire (and duty) to treat everyone fairly and equitably. Identify the fundamental difference between distress or dilemma problems and locus of authority problems. Identify four criteria that will assist you in deciding who should assume authority for a specific ethical decision to achieve a caring response.