Ethics

The practice of medicine is an intrinsically ethical endeavor because its fundamental goal is health, a good necessary for and integral to human flourishing. This goal also helps define and identify what counts as ethical behavior in the practice of medicine. Fundamentally, actions that promote the possibility of health are generally to be accounted as ethically good actions. Conversely, those that tend to frustrate or destroy the possibility of health are to be accounted as ethically bad. In addition to having an identity-defining goal, clinical medicine also has a nature or structure proper to it. That structure is relational. The authentic and effective practice of medicine requires a relationship of deep mutual trust between the physician and the physician’s patient and the patient’s family. Therefore, a commitment to and an ability to create and sustain such a relationship is a legitimate moral expectation of a physician and is the source of many of the physician’s ethical responsibilities. In the eleven case studies that follow, common ethical challenges that pediatricians might reasonably expect to encounter in their practice are explored. In each case, it is recommended that the pediatrician adopt the course of action that is most consistent with the nature and goal of medicine understood as a healing profession rooted in and requiring a relationship of mutual trust.

The intervention taboo(s): Strategy and normative invalidation

Intervention comprises one of the most contentious issues in International Relations. This controversy results from the way normative understanding is structured around two key, but mutually exclusive, taboos: the moral expectation to respond in cases of humanitarian need and the protection of state sovereignty. In examining this dilemma, this article asks: what happens to the construction of rhetorical strategy, where that strategy seeks to justify intervention (or not), within a binary normative environment? It is argued that actors can only successfully construct a rhetorical case by engaging in, what is termed here, normative invalidation. In a binary situation, actors cannot adhere to both taboos. These taboos are so compelling, however, that actors must necessarily invalidate or neutralise any taboo not adhered to. This is discussed in relation to the Strategic Narratives paradigm and comparative case studies on the presidential rhetoric of Bill Clinton and Barack Obama.

Religion and religiosity in the system of values and life priorities of Ukrainians

This article analyzes some aspects of the modern Ukrainian values, including religion and religiosity in the system of values and priorities in life. It describes the relationship between religious self-identification and some of their values and philosophical positions. It is concluded that the primary value in contemporary Ukrainian society, regardless of religious self-identify, is a family. Having faith (according to self-identification as a believer) is a kind of internal moral and ethical code. According to empirical indicators of people who consider themselves believers, they are more responsible towards institute of family. Individuals with certain religious beliefs, compared to non-believers are more negative towards social issues such as bribery, using office, prostitution, homosexuality, drug addiction and have higher moral expectation for their own behavior.