PHLB09H3 Chap.1 Arguments and the Principles of Bioethics
Arguments and the Principles of Bioethics
Why the course begins with arguments
The first week introduces arguments, and the second turns to the Canadian Medical Association's Code of Ethics and Professionalism. Together they set the method for the term: identify a conclusion, find the premises that support it, and decide which premise a careful critic would reject.
Bioethics questions rarely turn on facts alone, so the quality of your reasoning is what the quiz, the simulations and the oral exam all measure.
How the CMA Code is organised
The Code rests on trust, which it calls the cornerstone of the relationship between patient and physician. It lists five virtues that physicians aspire to: compassion, honesty, humility, integrity and prudence.
It then states fundamental commitments, including the well-being of the patient, respect for persons and justice, and ends with numbered professional responsibilities covering consent, decision-making, confidentiality and research.
Using principles without treating them as a formula
Principles name considerations, not answers.
Real cases arise when benefit to the patient conflicts with the patient's own choice, or when one patient's claim conflicts with the needs of others. A strong analysis says which commitment should govern the case and explains why the other gives way.
What this chapter covers
- 01
Premises and Conclusions
- 02
Validity and Soundness
- 03
Trust as the Cornerstone
- 04
Five Virtues of the CMA Code
- 05
Fundamental Commitments
- 06
Respect for Persons
- 07
Numbered Professional Responsibilities
Worked example · free
Name the premise a critic would reject
- 2Write the conclusion and list the two stated premises.
- 2Show that a bridging premise is needed for validity and state it.
- 2Reject the bridge with a reason and offer a narrower conclusion.
Key terms
- Premise
- A premise is a claim offered as a reason for accepting the conclusion of an argument.
- Valid Argument
- A valid argument is one whose conclusion must be true whenever all of its premises are true.
- Sound Argument
- A sound argument is a valid argument whose premises are all actually true.
- Fundamental Commitments
- Fundamental commitments are the CMA Code's core duties, including the patient's well-being, respect for persons and justice.
Arguments and the Principles of Bioethics FAQ
What is the difference between a valid and a sound argument?
A valid argument has a structure that guarantees its conclusion if its premises are true, even when those premises are false. A sound argument is valid and also has true premises. In bioethics most disputes concern soundness: people agree that a conclusion follows from certain premises, but disagree about whether a premise such as a claim about autonomy or harm is actually true.
Which virtues does the CMA Code list?
The Code lists five virtues it says the ethical physician exemplifies: compassion, honesty, humility, integrity and prudence. It presents them as interdependent and as ways of strengthening trust, which it calls the cornerstone of the patient and physician relationship and of medical professionalism. Physicians are asked to aspire to the virtues and to enact the numbered responsibilities.
Do principles settle what to do in a case?
No. Commitments such as the patient's well-being, respect for persons and justice identify what matters, but they often pull in different directions. The Code itself describes ethics as inquiry and reflection rather than an exhaustive rulebook. A case analysis has to explain which consideration governs in the particular circumstances and why the competing one gives way.
How should I criticise an argument in an ethics consultation note?
Avoid simply rejecting the conclusion. First check whether the conclusion follows from the stated premises, adding the most plausible bridging premise if one is missing. Then pick the premise you think is false and explain why, ideally with a counterexample. This shows the reader exactly where you disagree, and it prepares the objection-and-response section the note requires.
Exam move
Pick any short reading from later in the term and write its conclusion in one sentence, then list the premises in numbered form. Mark the premise that does the most work and draft one counterexample against it. Repeat the exercise with a clause from the CMA Code by treating the clause as a conclusion and writing the commitment that justifies it.
Finally, practise saying aloud, in under a minute, why an argument you dislike is still valid, then name the premise you would challenge.
