2023-12-07 10:02:12
The part of philosophy that studies the goodness or evil of human acts is ethics, the discipline that is responsible for the moral life of man. Ethics is a practical, non-speculative science that does not try to know human actions, but rather to direct them so that the person’s actions are good or bad, virtuous or vicious.
It has been a long time since Plato defended that the human being has a spiritual soul enclosed in a body and since Aristotle pointed out that the human being is a rational animal. However, we continue to defend that we are a free subject, possessor of a body and immaterial powers (intelligence and will).
How to apply Kantian philosophy to the dilemmas of current medicine. Photo: Istock
The four questions of Kantian philosophy
Emmanuel Kant (1724-1804) is one of the greatest exponents of Western philosophy. He was born in the town of Königsberg (present-day Kaliningrad, Russia), which at that time belonged to Prussia. He spent most of his life in his hometown, where he studied at his university and where he later became a professor of philosophy. He is known for his writings on ethics, epistemology and metaphysics.
It is known that Kant led a very orderly and methodical life, he had very precise and regular habits, to the point that some of the citizens of Königsberg used the philosopher’s walks to adjust their watches.
The four questions that condense his philosophy are: what can I know? what should I do? I should wait? and what is man? These are some of the questions that doctors ask themselves today in their professional practice.
human dignity
In his work, Kant admits the existence of the soul, since without it there might be no ethics, freedom or immortality. In “Critique of Practical Reason” he explained his position regarding ethics, pointing out that it must be universal, valid for everyone and that it does not have to pursue any end (it should not aim to achieve happiness as he had pointed out centuries ago). Aristotle).
Portrait of Immanuel Kant.iStock
In his “Metaphysics of Morals” Kant wrote “humanity itself is a dignity, because man cannot be treated by any man as a simple instrument.” In this way, he defends the dignity of the person from a modern philosophy.
If the Kantian principle had been applied, Josef Menguele would not have committed the atrocious experiments, without any scientific basis, that he carried out on human beings in the Auschwitz concentration camp.
The categorical imperative
For Kant, a person acts ethically when he or she does so disinterestedly, in accordance with duty, without pursuing explicit ends. For the Prussian philosopher the foundation is the categorical imperative, that is, acting in such a way that our acts can be elevated to the category of universal law.
Closer to the health practice of our days, one of the pillars of bioethics is the autonomy of the patient, that is, the person and not the disease is the end of medicine.
The Universal Declaration on Human Rights and Bioethics states: “the autonomy of the person must be respected with regard to the power to make decisions.” In this way, autonomy as a model in the doctor-patient relationship replaces paternalism.
A person is autonomous in the moral (Kantian) sense, when he is not guided only by his own conception of happiness, but by a universalized concern for the ends of all rational people.
The principle of autonomy is reinforced by the rejection of the experiments of World War II. Doctors must treat all their patients with respect, dignity and empathy at all times, regardless of the circumstances.
In turn, health professionals must maintain the confidentiality of information on all patients, without exception, respecting their privacy.
Honesty in the doctor-patient relationship
Doctors must seek the benefit of the patient (principle of beneficence) and avoid causing harm (principle of non-maleficence), making decisions that promote their well-being and considering the possible adverse effects of any treatment. But should doctors hide the truth from patients in order to alleviate their anxieties?
This question, far from being simple, contains a complex depth and is very difficult to answer. This is because hiding the truth can serve many purposes and lead to very different consequences.
If we frame it within Kant’s categorical imperative, telling the truth is necessary, since lying is always an evil and affects the dignity of the individual. For the Prussian, the patient is obliged to know, he has the right to be informed and lying violates his moral standard.
Kant’s categorical imperative in the practice of health includes equality in care, that is, all patients must receive fair and equitable care, regardless of their social, economic or cultural condition.
References:
Begoña, R. (2007). The concept “life” in Kantian ethics: some consequences for bioethics. Logos. Annals of the Metaphysics Seminar. Kant, I. (1990) Foundation of the metaphysics of customs. Critique of Practical Reason. Perpetual peace. Mexico: Porrúa.Kuhse, H. Singer, P. (2001). A companion to bioethics. Oxford: Wiley-Blackwell.UNESCO (2005) Universal declaration on human rights and bioethics. Available at: https://es.unesco.org/regarding-us/legal-affairs/declaracion-universal-bioetica-y-derechos-humanos
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