Abstract
Abstract Decision-making procedures in medical practice are often analysed by both philosophers of science and ethicists, as well as statisticians, clinicians and methodologists. The paper focuses on decisions made by patients in situations of moral dilemma. The main purpose is to analyse the strategies used in resolving such dilemmas. First, the concept of a ‘situation of moral dilemma’ is clarified. Then, two types of strategies for resolving such situations are distinguished. The first strategy requires revising the patient’s belief system or moral orientation. The second one includes a group of non-revision beliefs strategies (NRB). The authors argue in support of the thesis that NRB strategies are, in fact, the patient’s first choice when it comes to resolving moral dilemmas. The paper analyses situations where the NRB strategies may prove effective, as well as situations where they fail and where the solution of the moral dilemma must be addressed by revising the accepted belief system. The findings will help to better understand patients’ decision-making processes.
Highlights
Decision-making procedures in medical practice are often analysed by both philosophers of science and ethicists, as well as statisticians, clinicians, and methodologists
The authors argue in support of the thesis that non-revision beliefs strategies (NRB) strategies are, the patient’s first choice when it comes to resolving moral dilemmas
The moral dilemma is, identified by the question: ‘Which of the moral orientations should be chosen in situation Z?’ But the problem is that the arguments in favour of act x and those against it are not unequivocally resolvable on the basis of the subject’s accepted belief system, i.e. on the basis of a set of first-order sentences and evaluating sentences (Baum, 2010)
Summary
Decision-making procedures in medical practice are often analysed by both philosophers of science and ethicists, as well as statisticians, clinicians, and methodologists. The patients are those who face the problem of making decisions to undergo specific medical procedures In many cases, such decisions are not obvious, and often assume the form of a moral dilemma. The author’s opinion is that the findings presented will allow for a better understanding of problems related to the rationality of patients’ decisions and will become a starting point for more detailed analyses considering both complex situations of moral dilemmas and more complex strategies for resolving such dilemmas. The knowledge of the patient who makes decisions (the so-called ‘common-sense knowledge’) is an extremely complex belief system (BF), where the axiological and cultural dimension predominates over the scientific perspective The consequences of this situation are significant as the predomination of the cultural dimension in the patient’s belief system puts his or her decision-making process in a situation of moral dilemma
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