Ethical Nature Research Articles

Carrier identification and genetic counselling

The identification of carriers, so-called healthy carriers, of hereditary diseases or those with a significant hereditary component is assuming considerable importance at this stage of health care, which is increasingly turning its attention to preventive medicine. This type of operation has numerous implications, of a technical, social, psychological and moral nature, some of which represent a relatively new experience for the doctor or healthcare facility.

Is metaethical naturalism sufficient? A Confucian response to problems of meaning

ABSTRACT Ethical naturalism is sometimes accused of problematic metaphysics or epistemology. Some argue that naturalists rely on concepts of ‘nature’ indefensible in the light of modern evolutionary biology. There is also an epistemological worry that has been raised recently that strong normative evaluation, such as meaning in human life, is empirically inaccessible or even in conflict with what we know in scientific contexts. While the critics have targeted Aristotelian and Neo-Aristotelian views, I will appeal to an argument from the Neo-Confucian Zhu Xi as one potential way that we can respond to skeptics. If we can know that human beings are capable of moral goodness, and it is comprehensible for us to take moral goodness as a final or unifying goal of our lives, then we can respond to the skeptical objections which allege that we cannot sustain rich normative judgments about meaning in life in the face of scientific evidence.

Do discurso à ação política: análise de acontecimentos extremistas que violam uma ética discursiva

In this article, we reflect on aspects of the relationships between discourse, action, and ethics in the Brazilian political arena. These relationships were examined from theoretical perspectives based on the integration of discursive, phenomenological, and cognitive studies. We highlight the approaches of Ricoeur (1988) and Paveau (2015), particularly the notions of the discourse of action, ethically qualified action, and discursive ethics/virtue. These notions provided a conceptual and analytical framework for the analysis of two extremist events from protests against the outcome of the 2022 presidential elections, illustrating our political context characterized by the rise of the far-right and attacks against the Democratic Rule of Law. Methodologically, we selected a corpus of texts (such as memes, cartoons, photographs, statements, communications and a petition), which address and problematize these two events, shaping forms of metadiscourses with moral axiological nature. These metadiscursive statements were qualitatively analyzed based on their description and interpretation in light of the aforementioned notions.

Культурологический аспект понятия «гражданская идентичность»

The article is devoted to the concept of “civic identity”. This concept has become a working term in a number of regulatory state documents on strategic planning in the Russian Federation adopted in recent decades. It is also used in domestic social science, philosophy, and the media. But this term is used in the Russian language space. The authors point to the relationship between the concepts of “civiс identity” and “national identity”. In the English-language tradition (and a number of other European language traditions), the term “national identity” denotes a set of forms of social identity that define an individual as a citizen in a national state. But in the Russian space, the concept of “nation” itself is traditionally understood as “ethnonation”, and in the Russian multinational state the use of the concept of “national identity” brings up difficulties of a legal, ethical, and cultural nature. To a certain extent, the concept of “civic identity” may be close to the concept of “macropolitical identity”, but civic identity is somewhat broader than macropolitical identity, the latter covering only the political aspects of an individual’s activity. The article also points out the inadequacy of understanding civic identity as awareness of legally formalized citizenship in the Russian Federation, with all the ensuing rights and obligations. The main thesis of the article is that civiс identity should have value and cultural foundations in addition to legal and political ones. Based on the concept of a “civilization state” put forward in the “Concept of Foreign Policy of the Russian Federation” in March 2023, the authors point to the possibility of bringing the concept of “civic identity” closer to the term “civilizational identity”. It is noted that these concepts are not identical, but civic identity also adopts values declared at the state level and accepts the historical heritage of the state through culture.

Investigating the Relationship between Moral Intelligence and Attitude towards Patient Safety in Nurses Working at Shahid Sadoughi Teaching Hospital in Yazd in 2023

Background: Moral intelligence in nurses is of particular importance due to the human and moral nature of their job and profession. Moral intelligence can provide a rule for the correct functioning of humans and is considered a predictive factor of behavior. The moral intelligence of nurses refers to their ability to distinguish right from wrong and adhere to ethical principles. Nurses with higher moral intelligence show more commitment to patient safety and adherence to professional protocols and have a more positive attitude toward patient safety. The purpose of this study was to investigate the relationship between moral intelligence and attitude towards patient safety in nurses working at Shahid Sadoughi Teaching Hospital in Yazd in 2023. Methods: The present study was a descriptive-analytical one conducted cross-sectionally in 2023. The statistical population included 237 nurses working in Shahid Sadoughi Teaching Hospital, Yazd, who were selected by stratified random sampling. Two standard questionnaires with a 5-point Likert scale were used to collect data. Data were analyzed by SPSS24 using descriptive statistics, one-way analysis of variance and Pearson's correlation coefficient. Results: The average moral intelligence of the studied nurses was 135.22 ± 22.30, and the average attitude of the nurses towards patient safety was 72.65 ± 17.32, indicating high moral intelligence and an average attitude towards patients safety in nurses in Shahid Sadoughi University. The results of Pearson's correlation coefficient showed that there is a positive and significant correlation between moral intelligence and nurses' attitude towards patient safety (r = 0.19, p = 0.003). Conclusion: Moral intelligence plays a role in predicting nurses' attitude towards patient safety; therefore, it seems that by strengthening the moral intelligence of nurses, their attitude towards patient safety can be influenced. To strengthen the moral intelligence of nurses and improve their attitude towards patient safety, professional ethics training, development of critical thinking skills and creation of ethical organizational culture can be used. Also, holding workshops to discuss ethical issues and support from ethical management can strengthen nurses in making ethical decisions and more responsible behavior in the field of patient safety.

Incidental findings in research brain MRI: Definition, prevalence and ethical implications

SummaryRadiological incidental findings (IFs) are previously undetected abnormalities which are unrelated to the original indication for imaging and are unexpectedly discovered. In brain magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), the prevalence of IFs is increasing. By reviewing the literature on IFs in brain MRI performed for research purposes and discussing ethical considerations of IFs, this paper provides an overview of brain IF research results and factors contributing to inconsistencies and considers how the consent process can be improved from an ethical perspective. We found that despite extensive literature regarding IFs in research MRI of the brain, there are major inconsistencies in the reported prevalence, ranging from 1.3% to 99%. Many factors appear to contribute to this broad range: lack of standardised definition, participant demographics variance, heterogenous MRI scanner strength and sequences, reporter variation and results classification. We also found significant discrepancies in the review, consent and clinical communication processes pertaining to the ethical nature of these studies. These findings have implications for future studies, particularly those involving artificial intelligence. Further research, particularly in relation to MRI brain IFs would be useful to explore the generalisability of study results.

Mary Midgley’s meta-ethics and Neo-Aristotelian naturalism

ABSTRACT This paper has two aims: First, to provide an elucidation of the kind of meta-ethical programme at work in Mary Midgley's (1919-2018) Beast and Man: The Roots of Human Nature (published in 1978). Second, to make the case for Midgley's placement within the philosophical and philosophical-historical canon, specifically, as an important figure within the meta-ethical movement of ‘Neo-Aristotelian naturalism'. On historical and systematic grounds, I argue that Midgley should be classified as a neo-Aristotelian ethical naturalist notwithstanding the distinctive features of Midgley’s specific brand of neo-Aristotelianism. In doing so, I suggest a more generally applicable family resemblance approach to the history of philosophy in order to classify and re-introduce into the canon figures in the history of philosophy that are in danger of falling into oblivion.

US Migration Crisis and Its Consequences for the 2024 Presidential Elections

The evolution of US migration policy has run several cycles: at first, the fate of immigrants was the responsibility of the employer (companies, who brought them to the USA), then, with an increase in their influx and their gradual resettlement, the lives of newcomers began to be determined at the state level. Only at the end of the 19th century migration regulation began to acquire the features of the federal government’s established policy with a vector towards liberalization throughout the next century. Starting from the 2010s there is a reverse trend – back to restrictionism and ‘descend’ of the regulation to the level of state authorities, especially for illegal immigrants. Such shift causes a clash between states and federal government, and at the same time emphasises the inability of this government to carry out objectively aspired reform.Today immigration policy in the United States can be divided into two major areas: legal immigration regulation and government attempts to solve the problem of illegal immigration. This division, albeit conditionally, helps to understand why for 30 years now no Congress has been able to work out a comprehensive immigration reform or at least agree on key areas for the implementation of its’ certain aspects. A set of acute problems of socio-economic, moral and ethical nature forms an inseparable set of challenges. It equally includes both the areas necessary for the country’s successful economic development: highly qualified personnel attraction, aging of the nation combating, increase of the birth rate, and the challenges associated with the burden on society and the increase in crime: the influx of refugees, illegal, seasonal and permanent immigrants and their families.Due to domestic political peculiarities in the modern United States, party coalitions cannot agree on even one of these areas, let alone develop a profound working system that meets constantly changing needs of the economy, foreign policy challenges, and is in consensus with states’ authorities, who would finally assimilate newcomers.Will the current crisis on the southwestern border of the United States affect J. Biden’s reelection in November 2024? What strategy has D. Trump chosen to bypass his rival? – you will find from this article.

Being, seeing and recognizing oneself as a teacher who teaches Mathematics: (re)configuring Professional Identities from the perspective of Probabilistic Education

This article aims to understand how actions and practices based on studies on Probability Education contribute to the (re)configuration’s movement of the Professional Identity (PI) of Teachers who Teach Mathematics (TTM). The study is based on a qualitative and interpretative paradigm, relied on a Research-Training path developed in a study group with 11 TTM. To this end, we are based on a characterization of TTM’s PI, which points out a set of elements (macrodomains) that allow us to understand them in their ways of being, seeing and recognizing themselves as such. The results and discussion were based on the apprehension of four Meaning Cores, which indicate that the TTM’s PI were forged from the Learning Paths (re)constituted in the collective/collaborative context of the group and interwoven by elements of personal, emotional, moral and sociopolitical nature that emerged from the enterprise of teaching and learning Probability.

Normothermic Regional Perfusion in Controlled Donation After the Circulatory Determination of Death: Understanding Where the Benefit Lies.

Controlled donation after the circulatory determination of death (cDCDD) has emerged as a strategy to increase the availability of organs for clinical use. Traditionally, organs from cDCDD donors have been subject to standard rapid recovery (SRR) with poor posttransplant outcomes of abdominal organs, particularly the liver, and limited organ utilization. Normothermic regional perfusion (NRP), based on the use of extracorporeal membrane oxygenation devices, consists of the in situ perfusion of organs that will be subject to transplantation with oxygenated blood under normothermic conditions after the declaration of death and before organ recovery. NRP is a potential solution to address the limitations of traditional recovery methods. It has become normal practice in several European countries and has been recently introduced in the United States. The increased use of NRP in cDCDD has occurred as a result of a growing body of evidence on its association with improved posttransplant outcomes and organ utilization compared with SRR. However, the expansion of NRP is precluded by obstacles of an organizational, legal, and ethical nature. This article details the technique of both abdominal and thoracoabdominal NRP. Based on the available evidence, it describes its benefits in terms of posttransplant outcomes of abdominal and thoracic organs and organ utilization. It addresses cost-effectiveness aspects of NRP, as well as logistical and ethical obstacles that limit the implementation of this innovative preservation strategy.

In defense of an ordinary life Kantian view on the scope of moral requirement

This paper examines Kant's line of argumentation for the establishment of the highest principles of morality against the background of ethical naturalism. The primary problem of moral philosophy is to understand in what sense we speak of the concept of ‘morality’. Whereas the ordinary understanding of morality is that it comes from nature, Kant argues that morality comes from reason, or that it is a rational norm. Having established the highest principles and norms of morality, Kantian moral philosophy then proceeds to argue that these highest principles and norms are binding on our reality as human beings. This argument is systematically necessary for Kantian moralists. Norms are norms in the sense that they are binding in practice, and therefore the highest moral norms have to be binding in the sense that they are most necessarily binding on practical action, otherwise this would be contrary to the meaning of the highest norms themselves.

Quiet quitting: Obedience a minima as a form of nursing resistance.

In this article, we provide a philosophical and ethical reflection about quiet quitting as a tool of political resistance for nurses. Quiet quitting is a trend that gained traction on TikTok in July 2022 and emerged as a method of resistance among employees facing increasing demands from their workplaces at the detriment of their personal lives. It is characterised by employees refraining from exceeding the basic requirements outlined in their job descriptions. To understand why quiet quitting can be a tool of resistance useful for nurses, we first draw on Frédéric Gros' concept of 'surplus obedience' and Michael Lipsky's notion of 'routines and simplification strategies' to highlight the ethical implications associated with nurses engaging in and sustaining harmful systems, such as the neoliberal healthcare system. Leaning again on Gros, we then propose that 'obedience a minima', a concept akin to quiet quitting, can serve as a method of ethical nursing resistance. After describing what the concept entails, we provide a discussion emphasising the potential of obedience a minima as a one method, among many, that can be leveraged by nurses to challenge and resist a system that prioritises financial considerations over patient wellbeing. The article concludes by reflecting on the ethical nature of resistance in the context of nursing, that is the act of obeying oneself and refraining from participating in systems that are detrimental to the lives of Others.

Ethics and context in second language testing: rethinking validity in theory and practice. M. Rafael Salaberry, Albert Weideman, and Wei-Li Hsu (2023). New York, Routledge, 248 Pages, ISBN 9781032471754

A resounding body of scholarship highlights the necessity of considering ethical concerns and social impacts of language tests and assessment practices in second language (L2) education (Brown & Harris, 2016; Davies, 2008; Fan et al., 2017). Without taking these issues into account, ensuring the right, reliable, and fair judgment is a tough task for L2 practitioners (Cohen, 2006; Gipps & Stobart, 2009). Inspired by the significance of ethics in L2 assessment, various studies have been done on the perceptions of stakeholders and common professional codes of ethics in the field of L2 education (Brown et al., 2020; Shohamy, 2020). Nevertheless, the situated nature of ethics across contextual particularities and in light of test validation theory has remained under-addressed. Urged to bridge this gap, Salaberry, Weideman, and Hsu (2023) compiled a handbook entitled “Ethics and Context in Second Language Testing: Rethinking Validity in Theory and Practice”, as a timely response to the need for a critical approach to L2 assessment. In so doing, they collected the voices of different stakeholders from different languages and contexts to comprehensively picture the status of social justice and equity in language education. The book, hence, provides an overview of key concepts, theories, and models of ethics and validity in language education and makes seminal suggestions for researching and practicing these constructs. This invaluable handbook is momentous for teachers, students, and researchers, especially those majoring in applied linguistics, sociolinguistics, and language policy and planning.

Navigating autonomy and decision-making capacity: Legal and ethical considerations in Medical Assistance in Dying for individuals with mental disorders in Portugal

Portugal has recently amended its absolute prohibition on euthanasia and assisted suicide that now permits it conditionally and exonerates those providing this practice. People with a mental disorder or medical condition that affects their decision-making capacity (DMC), regardless of the mental disorder, its contemporaneity, or its connection to the decision itself are expressly excluded from this service unless they are assessed and deemed capacitous. In the absence of any statute concerning capacity or assisted decision-making, this legislation raises concerns about potential discrimination, conflicting with the presumption of capacity principle. A shift toward a DMC model is proposed. This model allows for the assessment of capacity for specific decisions, addressing the ethical implications of respecting or overriding a terminally ill person’s autonomous will for medical assistance in dying. This review paper examines the challenges of assessing DMC in depression and examines several questions of ethical and legislative nature for future consideration.

A tourist facility with a ban on children playing: The principle of non-discrimination and the statement of the Bulgarian court

Recently, both in Bulgaria and abroad, it is increasingly common to find accommodation, restaurants and entertainment facilities that advertise and offer a wide range of services. However, these are not intended for general consumers but only those who have reached maturity (excluding minors and the under-aged). According to press publications hotels and restaurants that pre-select their guests based on their age are mainly concentrated on the Bulgarian Black Sea coast and in the mountains or they specialize in spa and balneo procedures. It turns out that consumers find it easier to stay with a pet, albeit at an extra cost, than go on vacation with their teenage children. Such practices adopted by representatives of the tourism industry raise some questions of a moral, ethical and legal nature. The current article traces the development of a specific administrative and judicial proceeding initiated to establish the presence of discrimination against consumers in a tourist facility – a restaurant. An overview of the claims and arguments of the claimant is made as well as an analysis of the reasons and considerations given by the competent administrative and judicial authorities. The author’s opinion on the issue is expressed.

The Poetic Discourse on “Serendib” in Modern Arabic Literature: Mahmoud Sami Al-Baroudi as a Model

This article examines the impacts of Sri Lanka on the poetry of Mahmoud Sami Al-Baroudi, who was exiled there for more than seventeen years (1882-1899 AD). While no study has been done to reveal the extent to which the poet’s derivation from the Sri Lankan environment in his poetry, this research will attempt to clarify the poet’s approach in introducing Sri Lanka, showing the aspects of its nature, and then to discuss his poems about the Sri Lankan people. In order to accomplish these goals, the inductive method was used to track the verses and poems that addressed topics related to Sri Lanka, and then the analytical approach was employed to study and analyse those verses and poems. The study discovered that the poet followed the approach of ancient poets in defining Sri Lanka by using the name “Serendib”, which the Arabs called it in the past, rather than “Ceylon”, which was an official name at the time. Similarly, the poet’s admiration for Sri Lankan nature emerged, particularly the nature of “Kandy,” where he lived for nearly ten years of his life, and from which he derived imagery and ideas for his poetic production, that is, in some of the poems in which he is nostalgic for Egypt, as well as in two independent poems. Concerning the Sri Lankan people, the researcher discovered only some poetic verses in which the poet criticised the negative aspects of some of the people’s customs and cultures, as well as some of their moral and physical nature

A Patient Interview-Based Needs Assessment and Evaluation of Experiences with Periviable Pregnancies.

Given the complex ethical and emotional nature of births during the periviable period for both health care providers and families, this investigation sought to identify strategies for improved counseling of pregnant patients facing preterm birth at the cusp of viability at a tertiary care center in Hawai'i. As part of a larger quality improvement project on periviability counseling, 10 patients were interviewed during either individual or small focus groups using a progression of hypothetical scenarios. Interviews were analyzed independently by 3 investigators to identify themes of patient experience and potential areas for improvement when counseling patients who are carrying periviable pregnancies. Several common themes emerged from the interviews. Patients expressed the desire for more information throughout the process delivered in a jargon-free manner with unified messaging from the medical teams, and emotional support. These findings add to a limited body of literature which addresses patient perceptions of interactions with health care providers in the face of uncertainty, particularly in a Pacific Islander population. The authors recommend increasing provider training and developing a more structured process to counsel pregnant women facing periviable pregnancy loss to improve the patient experience.

نگرشی مقایسوی بر نظریه امام ابوحامد غزالی و ابوعلی ابن مسکویه پیرامون فلسفه اخلاق

The study of Islamic heritage by predecessors of the Ummah regarding moral philosophy reflects the views and thoughts of Muslim philosophers who have elucidated the nature and essence of ethics and discussed its fundamental principles and theoretical foundations. In the introduction of these intellectuals, two prominent Islamic philosophers, Imam Abu Hamid Muhammad Ghazali and Abu Ali Ahmad ibn Muhammad Miskawayh, stand out among others. The perspective of these Muslim philosophers on the concept, subject, and goals of the science of ethics, as well as the originality of their theories concerning their relative dependence on the ethical theories of Greek philosophers, is a matter that requires an analytical-descriptive investigation. The present findings indicate that the ethical theory of these two great thinkers generally aims at objectives such as the growth and elevation of moral conscience, purification of the soul, purification of the heart and inner self, strengthening the relationship between the self and the Almighty Creator, moral refinement and optimization, organizing and rectifying human conduct and behavior, achieving balance among the dimensions of human existence, strengthening fraternal bonds, cooperation and benevolence within society, and institutionalizing goodness and virtue, wisdom, courage, chastity, and justice among society and humanity at large by adhering to Islamic ethical standards.

Comments on Dante’s Conception of Value

Dante Alighieri (1265–1321) is arguably one of the greatest figures in Western culture. A separate discipline, Dantist Studies, is concerned with exploring the different layers of his art. Without wishing to place myself among the scholars of this discipline, I would like to offer a few thoughts, mainly of an ethical nature, on the relationship of Dante’s works to the Renaissance.

Moral foundations in autistic people and people with systemizing minds

BackgroundDo autistic people share the same moral foundations as typical people? Here we built on two prominent theories in psychology, moral foundations theory and the empathizing–systemizing (E–S) theory, to observe the nature of morality in autistic people and systemizers.MethodsIn dataset 1, we measured five foundations of moral judgements (Care, Fairness, Loyalty, Authority, and Sanctity) measured by the Moral Foundations Questionnaire (MFQ) in autistic (n = 307) and typical people (n = 415) along with their scores on the Empathy Quotient (EQ) and Systemizing Quotient (SQ). In dataset 2, we measured these same five foundations along with E–S cognitive types (previously referred to as “brain types”) in a large sample of typical people (N = 7595).ResultsAutistic people scored the same on Care (i.e., concern for others) as typical people (h1). Their affective empathy (but not their cognitive empathy) scores were positively correlated with Care. Autistic people were more likely to endorse Fairness (i.e., giving people what they are owed, and treating them with justice) over Care (h2). Their systemizing scores were positively correlated with Fairness. Autistic people or those with a systemizing cognitive profile had lower scores on binding foundations: Loyalty, Authority, and Sanctity (h3). Systemizing in typical people was positively correlated with Liberty (i.e., hypervigilance against oppression), which is a sixth moral foundation (h4). Although the majority of people in all five E–S cognitive types self-identified as liberal, with a skew towards empathizing (h5), the percentage of libertarians was highest in systemizing cognitive types (h6). E–S cognitive types accounted for 2 to 3 times more variance for Care than did sex.LimitationsOur study is limited by its reliance on self-report measures and a focus on moral judgements rather than behavior or decision-making. Further, only dataset 2 measured political identification, therefore we were unable to assess politics in autistic people.ConclusionsWe conclude that some moral foundations in autistic people are similar to those in typical people (despite the difficulties in social interaction that are part of autism), and some are subtly different. These subtle differences vary depending on empathizing and systemizing cognitive types.