4 Key Questions

Riddles What gets wetter and wetter the more it dries? What has one eye but cannot see? A Towel A Needle A girl who was just learning to drive went down a one- way street in the wrong direction, but didn't break the law. How come? She’s Walking

4 Key Questions Blade Runner Controversy Learning Goal: Be able to apply the 4 key questions to ethical decision making. Blade Runner Controversy What were some of the questions you came up with from the Pistorius article? Should the IAFF allow Oscar Pistorius to compete? Should artificial limbs be permitted in organized sports competitions? Should Pistorius be allowed to compete in the Olympics? What alterations to the human body create an unfair advantage?

4 key questions for Bioethics: 1. What is the ethical question? These questions are about what a person should do, how people ought to interact, what shot of person one should be, and what kind of communities it would be good to live in. 2. What are the relevant facts? These are the biological, physiological, sociological, economic, and historical facts that you need for thinking carefully about the ethical question and answering it. Scientific facts are important because they provide a critical link between bioethics and the biology curriculum. They are especially important for answering questions about harms and benefits.

3. Who or what could/would be affected by the outcome? The people and entities affected by ethical decisions are considered stakeholders. Stakeholders are not always human beings or human organizations. Plants, animals, organisms, or the environment are also stake holders because they might be affected by the way an ethical issue is decided.

4. What are the relevant ethical considerations? These are particular concepts in ethics that help you analyze a case. Such as: Respect for persons, Harms and Benefits, Fairness, Authenticity, and Responsibility. Respect for Persons means: Not treating someone as a means to a goal Not interfering with their ability to make or carry out decisions Not making fun of them for their perspectives or feelings Not simply listening to a person, but rather hearing them and attempting to understand what they are trying to say

Minimizing harm and Maximizing Benefits means: Trying to promote positive consequences by balancing harms (or burdens) and benefits. Deciding which action would do the least harm and provide the most benefit. Fairness means: Ensuring resources, risks, and costs are distributed equally.

Let’s Practice! Use the Four Key Questions to analyze the Pistorius Case