RELG 2650 Exam Questions With
Complete Solutions
Sources of moral reflection in Catholic bioethics
Nature - human nature is fundamentally good, created by God
Scripture - certain aspects of the relationship between God and humans can only be
revealed through scripture; sometimes needs interpretation
Tradition - tradition of theological reflection clarifies ambiguity in scripture
Magisterium - teaching authority of the Roman Catholic Church; clarifies disagreements
in tradition and applies them to modernity
Pillars of Islam
Profession of faith
Prayer
Alms - donations, care for others
Fasting / Ramadan
Hajj - pilgrimage to Mecca and Medina to see the birthplace of Islam
Sources of prayer, reflection, and moral guidance in Islam
Sunna, Ijma
Sunna
saying and deeds of the prophet Muhammed and his companions
Ijma
consensus of companions of the prophets on disputed religious questions
Sources of prayer, reflection, and moral guidance in Judaism
Torah, Talmud
Torah
Fundamental text; needs interpretations
Five books of Moses that constitute law - Genesis, Exodus, Leviticus, Numbers,
Deuteronomy
Talmud
,collection of criticisms and discussions of how the Torah should be interpreted
- tradition of debate: model for how the law applies to new situations
Similarities in beliefs about creation
Existence depends on God
God creates all
God transcends
Creation is good
Islam bioethics
Recent progress - previously written only in Arabic and other languages of majority-
Muslim countries
Group of scholars in the US are creating Islamic bioethics in English
Relationship to the body and life
Life is a gift from God, humans are destined for Resurrection
Everyone is personally responsible for their actions even though they are guided by
God
One of the key values - preservation of life and care for the poor
Christian bioethics
Christianity and medicine - caring for the sick is a great act of mercy; disciples
commanded to heal the sick
Bioethics from Meilander's Christian Vision
Autonomy and community
Free and finite
Providence and freedom
Embodied personhood
Autonomy and community
great dignity ascribed to each individual, we are social creatures that serve as part of a
community
Free and finite
we have free will and spirit that transcends creation, but our freedom is subject to God's
law
*Bound by God's commands and our physical limitations
,Providence and freedom
all is in God's hands and we should have faith in his care, but it is also our duty to care
for others
Embodied personhood
we are spiritual beings that are called to eternal life, but our bodies are essential parts of
us
Judaism and medicine
Long tradition of commitment to medicine in Judaism, some of the greatest Jewish
scholars were doctors
Relationship to the body and life - also themes of Jewish bioethics
Body belongs to God - we receive the body (and the world) as a gift, must care for it
The body is neutral
Help God preserve and protect the world
Suffering?
Suffering is bad; we should avoid it BUT God brings good out of suffering
(ex: Christianity is based on Jesus's suffering on the cross; therefore, it would be a
mistake to eliminate suffering if doing so leads to immoral action
Elliot Dorff's list of fundamental Jewish themes/beliefs regarding health care
The body belongs to God
The body is morally neutral
We have a duty to help protect the body
The human body is not fully our own - cannot destroy life, should use life to execute
God's will
The body is good when we use it to follow God's will, pleasure is commanded when it
follows God's law
Help God care for and protect the world - medicine is important in Jewish life
Consequentialism
the morality of action is derived from its consequences
Common form of consequentialism
utilitarianism
utilitarianism
, Greatest good for the greatest number
Pleasure and pain are morally important aspects of life
Objective ethic - uses calculative reason
Deontology
concedes that ethics is concerned with determining and following inviolable moral
norms
More on deontology
Linked somewhat to Kant
Focuses on respecting rights
Fulfilling your duty to a universalizing maxim - rule that applies to everyone, mutually
beneficial, motivates action
universal maxim
A clear principle designed to apply to everyone in the world; mutually beneficial and
motivates action
Tuskegee Syphilis Study
Research study conducted by a branch of the U.S. government, lasting for roughly 50
years (1932-1972), in which 400 African American men diagnosed with syphilis were
deliberately left untreated, without their knowledge, to learn about the lifetime course of
the disease.
Problems with Tuskegee Syphilis Study
-Vulnerable group
-Objectified research subjects
-Knowledge prioritized over patient welfare
-Information was hidden
-Biological causes over social causes
-Upheld institutional interests
Vulnerable group
-black: racism in Jim Crow times
-poor: willing to participate in study for goods (free care, hot food, transport money, etc.)
-poorly educated
Other vulnerable groups
Complete Solutions
Sources of moral reflection in Catholic bioethics
Nature - human nature is fundamentally good, created by God
Scripture - certain aspects of the relationship between God and humans can only be
revealed through scripture; sometimes needs interpretation
Tradition - tradition of theological reflection clarifies ambiguity in scripture
Magisterium - teaching authority of the Roman Catholic Church; clarifies disagreements
in tradition and applies them to modernity
Pillars of Islam
Profession of faith
Prayer
Alms - donations, care for others
Fasting / Ramadan
Hajj - pilgrimage to Mecca and Medina to see the birthplace of Islam
Sources of prayer, reflection, and moral guidance in Islam
Sunna, Ijma
Sunna
saying and deeds of the prophet Muhammed and his companions
Ijma
consensus of companions of the prophets on disputed religious questions
Sources of prayer, reflection, and moral guidance in Judaism
Torah, Talmud
Torah
Fundamental text; needs interpretations
Five books of Moses that constitute law - Genesis, Exodus, Leviticus, Numbers,
Deuteronomy
Talmud
,collection of criticisms and discussions of how the Torah should be interpreted
- tradition of debate: model for how the law applies to new situations
Similarities in beliefs about creation
Existence depends on God
God creates all
God transcends
Creation is good
Islam bioethics
Recent progress - previously written only in Arabic and other languages of majority-
Muslim countries
Group of scholars in the US are creating Islamic bioethics in English
Relationship to the body and life
Life is a gift from God, humans are destined for Resurrection
Everyone is personally responsible for their actions even though they are guided by
God
One of the key values - preservation of life and care for the poor
Christian bioethics
Christianity and medicine - caring for the sick is a great act of mercy; disciples
commanded to heal the sick
Bioethics from Meilander's Christian Vision
Autonomy and community
Free and finite
Providence and freedom
Embodied personhood
Autonomy and community
great dignity ascribed to each individual, we are social creatures that serve as part of a
community
Free and finite
we have free will and spirit that transcends creation, but our freedom is subject to God's
law
*Bound by God's commands and our physical limitations
,Providence and freedom
all is in God's hands and we should have faith in his care, but it is also our duty to care
for others
Embodied personhood
we are spiritual beings that are called to eternal life, but our bodies are essential parts of
us
Judaism and medicine
Long tradition of commitment to medicine in Judaism, some of the greatest Jewish
scholars were doctors
Relationship to the body and life - also themes of Jewish bioethics
Body belongs to God - we receive the body (and the world) as a gift, must care for it
The body is neutral
Help God preserve and protect the world
Suffering?
Suffering is bad; we should avoid it BUT God brings good out of suffering
(ex: Christianity is based on Jesus's suffering on the cross; therefore, it would be a
mistake to eliminate suffering if doing so leads to immoral action
Elliot Dorff's list of fundamental Jewish themes/beliefs regarding health care
The body belongs to God
The body is morally neutral
We have a duty to help protect the body
The human body is not fully our own - cannot destroy life, should use life to execute
God's will
The body is good when we use it to follow God's will, pleasure is commanded when it
follows God's law
Help God care for and protect the world - medicine is important in Jewish life
Consequentialism
the morality of action is derived from its consequences
Common form of consequentialism
utilitarianism
utilitarianism
, Greatest good for the greatest number
Pleasure and pain are morally important aspects of life
Objective ethic - uses calculative reason
Deontology
concedes that ethics is concerned with determining and following inviolable moral
norms
More on deontology
Linked somewhat to Kant
Focuses on respecting rights
Fulfilling your duty to a universalizing maxim - rule that applies to everyone, mutually
beneficial, motivates action
universal maxim
A clear principle designed to apply to everyone in the world; mutually beneficial and
motivates action
Tuskegee Syphilis Study
Research study conducted by a branch of the U.S. government, lasting for roughly 50
years (1932-1972), in which 400 African American men diagnosed with syphilis were
deliberately left untreated, without their knowledge, to learn about the lifetime course of
the disease.
Problems with Tuskegee Syphilis Study
-Vulnerable group
-Objectified research subjects
-Knowledge prioritized over patient welfare
-Information was hidden
-Biological causes over social causes
-Upheld institutional interests
Vulnerable group
-black: racism in Jim Crow times
-poor: willing to participate in study for goods (free care, hot food, transport money, etc.)
-poorly educated
Other vulnerable groups
