PHLB09H3 Chapter 4: chapter 4
Document Summary
Kantian ethic the morality of truth telling and confidentiality seems clear. Physicians who adopt the means-end formulation of this, seem committed to an absolute duty of preserving both. Kantian view - treating people merely as a means to an end is impermissible, a violation of the principle of autonomy o o o o. Lying to patients and breeching confidentiality are clear instances of such violations. For a strict kantian, these prohibitions would have no exceptions, there would be no allowances made for the extraordinary circumstances. Arguments that truth-telling could be injurious to patients and must therefore be done with an eye to medical consequences would carry no weight. There would be no place for the notion that confidentiality may be set aside if there is a conflicting duty to warn . Act-utilitarian view -morality of truth telling and confidentiality must be judged case by case, the right action being the one that maximizes the good for all concerned o o.
