How Kantian Theory Relates to the Dilemmas That Healthcare Providers Must Confront

How Kantian Theory Relates to the Dilemmas That Healthcare Providers Must Confront

Healthcare providers are faced with various dilemmas while undertaking their duty of taking care of patients. Healthcare professionals must accord their patients autonomy regardless of their conditions of the patients. In this regard, the professionals allow patients to make their own decisions regarding the treatment after being given the options. The patient has to be explained about the outcomes of various treatment processes and lets to choose the one they prefer. Healthcare professionals have to accept the decision made by the patient irrespective of whether the outcome will be detrimental or beneficial to the patient’s health. This aligns with Kantian theory, which concentrates on providing people with happiness. In this case, and line with Kantian ethical theory, the motive of the medical professional is to help the patient attain happiness. However, medical professionals work requires giving the patient alternatives and the possibility to choose. Therefore, in this case, the healthcare professional is driven by morality, not emotions. The beneficence principle, the duty to do good, explains Kantian theory stipulating that doing good should be driven by one’s duty.

Conclusion

While dealing with human health, there is no doubt that medical practitioners face many ethical dilemmas. The Kantian theory postulates that healthcare professionals should be driven by their duty to make moral choices when faced with ethical dilemmas. ? References 1. Dean, R. (2006). The value of humanity in Kant’s moral theory. Oxford: Clarendon Press. 2. James, G. S. W. (2002). Morality, dignity and pragmatism: An essay on the future of morality (Unpublished doctoral dissertation). University College London, UK.

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