Moral Dilemmas in Health Care

Abstract

First, I wish to outline what is happening when one makes a moral judgement as opposed to any other kind of judgement. Normative judgements are not necessarily moral; it depends on the point of view taken. If my wife tells me that I ought to go to London by train rather than car, her reason is that it takes less time. The reason is prudential. When she tells me to wear a matching shirt and tie because the ones I am wearing clash, her judgement is aesthetic. On the other hand, when I am told that I ought to go and see my friend Ron because I had promised to help him over a personal problem with his son, there is an obligation to keep a promise and help someone. This involves a moral obligation rather than a non-moral one.