The persuasion of vaccine allocation models during Covid-19. Rhetoric, ethics and science

2021 ◽  
Vol 70 (4) ◽  
pp. 447-468
Author(s):  
Elvira Passaro ◽  
Mario Picozzi
Keyword(s):  
Ethical Problem ◽  
Early Experience ◽  
Scientific Achievement ◽  
Specific Question ◽  
Summary Table ◽  
Ethical Problems ◽  
Model Section ◽  
Section Viii ◽  
Priority Model ◽  
Aristotelian Rhetoric

The swift development of effective vaccines against the new coronavirus was an unprecedented scientific achievement. In this paper, we discuss what models have been proposed for distributing vaccines locally and globally through the application of Aristotelian rhetoric. This discussion, therefore, focuses on a specific question: how are the different models of vaccine administration and distribution justified on an ethical-argumentative level? This report also examines what has come to be known as “vaccine nationalism” through the lens of the early experience with the COVID- 19 vaccination process. To this end, this report proceeds as follows: Section I explains the rhetorical method applied to ethical principles, and Section II explains the chosen criteria for the analysis. Section III looks at the Fair Priority Model; Section IV examines the COVAX and GAVI model; Section V presents the weighted lottery model. Section VI proposes a summary table of the analysis of the proposed models and Section VII focuses on the ethical problem of vaccine nationalism and its implications in relation to the models, that were taken into consideration during the previous sections. Section VIII offers brief conclusions; solidarity conceived as an argument of reciprocity should be, according to this analysis, the guiding value to address ethical problems in the area of resource allocation.

Automated argument adjudication to solve ethical problems in multi-agent environments

2021 ◽  
Vol 12 (1) ◽  
pp. 310-335
Author(s):  
Selmer Bringsjord ◽  
Naveen Sundar Govindarajulu ◽  
Michael Giancola
Keyword(s):  
Ethical Problem ◽  
Propositional Content ◽  
Ethical Principles ◽  
Artificial Agents ◽  
Artificial Agent ◽  
Ethical Problems ◽  
Multi Agent

Abstract Suppose an artificial agent a adj {a}_{\text{adj}} , as time unfolds, (i) receives from multiple artificial agents (which may, in turn, themselves have received from yet other such agents…) propositional content, and (ii) must solve an ethical problem on the basis of what it has received. How should a adj {a}_{\text{adj}} adjudicate what it has received in order to produce such a solution? We consider an environment infused with logicist artificial agents a 1 , a 2 , … , a n {a}_{1},{a}_{2},\ldots ,{a}_{n} that sense and report their findings to “adjudicator” agents who must solve ethical problems. (Many if not most of these agents may be robots.) In such an environment, inconsistency is a virtual guarantee: a adj {a}_{\text{adj}} may, for instance, receive a report from a 1 {a}_{1} that proposition ϕ \phi holds, then from a 2 {a}_{2} that ¬ ϕ \neg \phi holds, and then from a 3 {a}_{3} that neither ϕ \phi nor ¬ ϕ \neg \phi should be believed, but rather ψ \psi instead, at some level of likelihood. We further assume that agents receiving such incompatible reports will nonetheless sometimes simply need, before long, to make decisions on the basis of these reports, in order to try to solve ethical problems. We provide a solution to such a quandary: AI capable of adjudicating competing reports from subsidiary agents through time, and delivering to humans a rational, ethically correct (relative to underlying ethical principles) recommendation based upon such adjudication. To illuminate our solution, we anchor it to a particular scenario.

Moral Decision Making in Business: A Phase-Model

2000 ◽  
Vol 10 (4) ◽  
pp. 773-803 ◽  
Author(s):  
Aviva Geva
Keyword(s):  
Decision Making ◽  
Ethical Decision ◽  
Ethical Decision Making ◽  
Ethical Problem ◽  
Real Life ◽  
Phase Model ◽  
Second Phase ◽  
Illustrative Case ◽  
Moral Decision ◽  
Ethical Problems

Abstract:The traditional model of ethical decision making in business suggests applying an initial set of principles to a concrete problem and if they conflict the decision maker may attempt to balance them intuitively. The centrality of the ethical conflict in the accepted notion of “ethical problem” has diverted the attention of moral decision modelers from other ethical problems that real-world managers must face—e.g., compliance problems, moral laxity, and systemic problems resulting from the structures and practices of the business organization. The present article proposes a new model for ethical decision making in business—the Phase-model—designed to meet the full spectrum of business-related ethical problems. Drawing on the dominant moral theories in business literature, the model offers additional strategies for tackling ethical issues beyond the traditional cognitive operations of deductive application of principles to specific cases and the balancing of ethical considerations. Its response to the problems of moral pluralism in the context of decision making lies in its structural features. The model distinguishes between three phases of the decision-making process, each having a different task and a different theoretical basis. After an introductory stage in which the ethical problem is defined, the first phase focuses on a principle-based evaluation of a course of action; the second phase provides a virtue-based perspective of the situation and strategies for handling unsettled conflicts and compliance problems; and the third phase adapts the decision to empirical accepted norms. An illustrative case demonstrates the applicability of the model to business real life.

Ethical problems related to intravenous fluids in nursing homes

2014 ◽  
Vol 21 (8) ◽  
pp. 890-901 ◽  
Author(s):  
May-Elin T Horntvedt ◽  
Maria Romøren ◽  
Betty-Ann Solvoll
Keyword(s):  
Decision Making ◽  
Nursing Homes ◽  
Internal Pressure ◽  
Collaborative Research ◽  
Ethical Problem ◽  
Organizational Factors ◽  
External Pressure ◽  
Intravenous Fluids ◽  
Research Project ◽  
Ethical Problems

Background: Intravenous fluids and/or antibiotics are applied to only a limited extent in Norwegian nursing homes, and the patients are often sent to hospital in these situations. A transfer and a stay in hospital may be unnecessary strains for frail older patients. Given this background, a collaborative research project was initiated in a Norwegian county in 2009. A teaching programme was developed, which aimed to strengthen the awareness of ethics, assessments and practical procedures related to intravenous fluid and/or antibiotics among healthcare professionals. Objectives: This qualitative study aimed to increase our knowledge of the ethical problems experienced by nursing home nurses in situations related to the administration of intravenous fluids and/or antibiotics. Research design: An exploratory design was used, and five focus group interviews were conducted with 26 registered nurses. A hermeneutic analytic approach was applied. Ethical considerations: This study was reported to the Norwegian Social Science Data Services in May 2010. The Regional Committee for Medical and Health Research Ethics approved the collaborative research project. Findings: The analysis showed that the nurses experienced difficult decision-making situations, which were interpreted as external pressure and internal pressure. External pressure emerged in interactions with patients and relatives. Organizational factors were also interpreted as external pressure. Internal pressure was interpreted as the nurses’ experience of feeling inadequate in situations where it was difficult to protect the dignity of patients. Discussion: These findings correspond with international studies, which show that ethical problems often arise during decision-making situations. Conclusion: In agreement with the definition of an ethical problem, we found that the nurses experienced uncertainty and disagreements about how situations should be managed. External and internal pressures related to intravenous fluids and/or antibiotics in nursing homes have not been reported in previous studies. Thus, these findings merit further exploration.

The Ethics Toolkit: A Computer Program for Teaching Ethics to Engineering Students

1997 ◽  
Author(s):  
Terry E. Shoup ◽  
Thomas Shanks
Keyword(s):  
Problem Solving ◽  
Computer Program ◽  
Engineering Students ◽  
Ethical Problem ◽  
Computer Application ◽  
Teaching Ethics ◽  
Ethical Problems

Abstract This paper describes a new computer application known as the Ethics Toolkit that is useful in enabling engineering students to learn about ethical problem solving. The application runs in a Windows environment and implements five different approaches to ethical problem solving found in the literature. Although the application does not provide absolute answers to ethical problems, it does facilitate the automation, organization and prioritization of solution possibilities.

Physicians and Patients Perception of a Problem as Ethically Relevant in Oncohematology: Only a Question of Perspective?

Blood ◽  
2008 ◽  
Vol 112 (11) ◽  
pp. 4682-4682
Author(s):  
Giulio Giordano ◽  
Dario Sacchini ◽  
Giuliana Farina ◽  
Silvia Piano ◽  
Ignacio Carrasco de Paula ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Ethical Issues ◽  
Ethical Problem ◽  
Line Treatment ◽  
Perinatal Medicine ◽  
Ethical Problems ◽  
Ethical Consultation ◽  
Use Of Resources ◽  
Clinical Counselling ◽  
Medical Specialities ◽  
Clinical Diary

Abstract Ethical issues are connatural with the medical activity. Moral questions regarding some medical specialities as obstetrics or pre or perinatal medicine are well known. Nevertheless few is known about ethical problems perceived as remarkable from physicians and patients in onco-hematology. This is a retrospective monocentric descriptive study. Its purpose is to recognize, in oncohematology, what are the problems perceived as ethically relevant both from physicians and patients. Ethical issues regarding onco-hematologic patients were recognized consulting clinical diary of 100 patients treated in our institution. Patients have casually been selected in the temporal period from January 2004 to June of 2008. Ethical questions were listed in two groups: those perceived as remarkable for the physicians and those for the patients. Median age of the patients was 54.5 years (R 33–86). M/F was 55/45. Sixty-one patients were affected by chronic or indolent hemopathies. Sixty-six patients received 1st line therapy, instead 34 2nd line or superior. Seventy-five patients had primary school instruction, 22 secondary, 3 had got a degree. Eighty patients were assisted by a relative. Twenty-nine patients perceived a problem as ethically relevant (5 compliance to treatments; 5 refusal of treatment; 7 intolerance to hospitalization; 9 scarce trust in caregivers; 3 difficulty to understand the therapeutic plan). In 38 cases physicians perceived a problem as ethically relevant (8 over treatment; 7 type of treatment to adopt; 8 correct timing of therapy; 11 correct use of resources; 4 adequacy of treatment). Physicians perceived these problems mainly about patients requiring 2nd line treatment or further (28 cases out of 38). In 12 cases only patients perceived a problem, in 21 cases only physicians perceived a problem, while in 17 cases a problem was perceived as ethically relevant by physicians and patients simultaneously. In our study, in onco-hematology the main issue perceived by patients as ethically relevant is the scarce trust in caregivers, while for physicians it is the correct use of resources. Physicians perceive an ethical problem mainly considering patient candidate to 2nd line treatment or further. In 24% of cases, a problem perceived as ethically relevant by patients is underestimated by physicians. In this contest the possibility of an ethical consultation within a clinical counselling might create a convergence between physician and patient perspective.

scholarly journals Validation of the comprehensiveness of an instrument on ethical problems in primary care

2014 ◽  
Vol 35 (1) ◽  
pp. 148-156 ◽  
Author(s):  
José Roque JUNGES ◽  
Elma Lourdes Campos Pavone Zóboli ◽  
Rafaela SCHAEFER ◽  
Carlise Rigon Dalla NORA ◽  
Mikaela BASSO
Keyword(s):  
Primary Care ◽  
Health Care ◽  
Primary Health Care ◽  
Data Collection ◽  
Ethical Problem ◽  
Ethical Problems ◽  
Methodological Research ◽  
Primary Health ◽  
Initial Stage

The study aimed to validate the comprehensiveness of an instrument on the occurrence of ethical problems in primary health care and discuss their results. This is a methodological research. The technique used was Delphi, which seeks to obtain a consensus on a subject by experts, using structured questionnaires that are modified to obtain consensus on the comprehensibility of content. The sample was composed by nine professionals with expertise in primary health care in São Leopoldo. Data collection was in March and April 2011. In the first round, the professional was asked to respond whether the described situation has represented an ethical problem, whether the statement was clear and whether there was any suggestion to rewriting the problem. Were presented thirty-six statements, and to twenty was suggested new rewrite. After the review and systematization the proposed amendments, has begun the second round to seek consensus among all the statements that its writing had changed. In the second round, the consensus required by the method was obtained. Using the method supported significantly to build the instrument in its initial stage, what makes it appropriated and comprehensive for the subsequent steps of the validation.

Cases and Commentaries

2018 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jeffrey Kovac
Keyword(s):  
Problem Solving ◽  
Undergraduate Research ◽  
Ethical Problem ◽  
Real Life ◽  
Industrial Chemistry ◽  
Research Experience ◽  
Ethical Problems ◽  
Laboratory Courses ◽  
Course Of Action ◽  
Life Problems

Just as in chemistry, the best way to learn ethical problem solving is to confront context-rich, real-life problems (Jonsen and Toulmin 1988; Davis 1999, 143–175). The broad variety of ethical problems, or cases, presented here are hypothetical situations, but represent the kinds of problems working chemists and students face. Cases raising similar ethical questions are grouped together. To reach a diverse audience, I sometimes write several variations of the same situation. For example, a question might be posed from the perspective of the graduate student in one version and from the perspective of the research di­rector in another. For important issues I provide cases that are accessible to undergraduates who have very little research experience, usually in the context of laboratory courses. For advanced undergraduates, some cases involve undergraduate research projects. Most of the cases involve situations encountered in graduate research in universities, but some also concern industrial chemistry. Finally, a few cases present ethical problems that arise in cooperative learning, a pedagogical technique that is becoming increasingly important in undergraduate education. Each case, or related set of cases, is followed by a commentary that outlines the important issues and discusses possible solutions. Some of the commentaries are quite extensive and actually present and defend my preferred course of action; others are brief and merely raise questions that should be considered in designing a solution. The commentaries model the ethical problem-solving method presented in Chapter 6. As I have emphasized repeatedly, most ethical problems do not have clean solutions. While some courses of action are clearly wrong, there may be several morally acceptable and defensible ways to proceed. Consequently, readers might disagree with my proposed solutions for good reasons. For example, if I use a consequentialist approach, my assessment of the relative positive and negative weights of the consequences might be challenged, or I simply might have forgotten to consider some factor. Where I have made a definite recommendation, I give the reasons for my choice and contrast it with other alternatives.

Nursing Students’ Experience of Ethical Problems and Use of Ethical Decision-Making Models

2001 ◽  
Vol 8 (5) ◽  
pp. 432-447 ◽  
Author(s):  
Miriam E Cameron ◽  
Marjorie Schaffer ◽  
Hyeoun-Ae Park
Keyword(s):  
Decision Making ◽  
Nursing Students ◽  
Baccalaureate Nursing ◽  
Ethics Education ◽  
Ethical Decision ◽  
Ethical Decision Making ◽  
Ethical Problem ◽  
Baccalaureate Nursing Students ◽  
Ethical Problems ◽  
Decision Making Model

Using a conceptual framework and method combining ethical enquiry and phenomenology, we asked 73 senior baccalaureate nursing students to answer two questions: (1) What is nursing students’ experience of an ethical problem involving nursing practice? and (2) What is nursing students’ experience of using an ethical decision-making model? Each student described one ethical problem, from which emerged five content categories, the largest being that involving health professionals (44%). The basic nature of the ethical problems consisted of the nursing students’ experience of conflict, resolution and rationale; 85% of the students stated that using an ethical decision-making model was helpful. Although additional research is needed, these findings have important implications for nursing ethics education and practice.

scholarly journals Ethical Problems in Study of Total Institutions

2013 ◽  
Vol 1 ◽  
pp. 14-18
Author(s):  
Andrzej Borowski
Keyword(s):  
Ethical Dilemmas ◽  
Ethical Problem ◽  
Total Institution ◽  
Objective Data ◽  
Environmental Concentration ◽  
Ethical Problems ◽  
Total Institutions ◽  
Staff Behavior

Occurrence of ethical problem is forced them in research of total institutions by character. It belongs to biggest ethical problems in case of total institution in the course of research: - protection privacy respondent and at publication of result in accordance with staff; - behavior neutrality equal as well as subordinates; - disclosure secret environmental. Concentration on variable, which limit subjectivism of collected data has in research of total institutions in forceful winning objective data about functioning in accordance with society of reality ethical dilemmas meaning this exclusive not increasing simultaneously.

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