Normative Theories: What You Need to Know

Introduction 

Normative theories are based on normative ethics, which study ethical actions. They seek to answer the question on the morality of people’s actions. According to Frey and Wellman (2007), normative theories are prescriptive and among them; there are disagreements as to the elements that give an action its ethical authority. Some of these theories include deontology and consequentialism among others. The case of JoEllen touches on morality as it involves the decision as to whether she should be provided with the medical care necessary to save her life or whether to conform to the notarized advance directive, in which case her life will be in danger. Various normative theorists will address this issue differently, based on what they consider to be morally right. 

Ethical issues in Complex Scenarios 

Benn (2001) explains that complex scenarios call for ethical decisions. From the case description, JoEllen was attempting suicide and got rescued in time. By taking an overdose of the prescribed drugs, she knew that the consequences of her action would be her death. Her intention is confirmed when she said that she was not supposed to be at the hospital, meaning that she did not want the doctors to save her life. The notarized advance directive categorically states that the lady does not wish to be placed on life support. Whichever decision the doctors decided to undertake, there would be severe consequences majoring on their duty of care to save lives or the breach of the law. JoEllen's condition is a critical one, and the rate at which her health is deteriorating requires the intervention of life support to allow the doctors to save her life. On the other hand, placing her on life support would amount to the breach of the law as it goes against her legal wish. 

Conforming to the legal wish would result in other legal complications to the effect that, the doctors would become accomplices to JoEllen's suicide. It is apparent that this lady had planned her death for a long time and was waiting for the right time when nobody could stop her. She contemplated the possibility of being prevented from doing it by being taken to the hospital in which she saw the inevitability of the life support being used on her. She took care of this by stating in the notarized advance directive that she should not be placed on life support, to prevent any attempts to save her life after she would have committed suicide. As such, following her orders is the same as facilitating her to commit the suicide. This is a complicated scenario that puts the doctors in an ethical dilemma (Benn, 2001). 

Immanuel Kant’s Ethical Theory 

Immanuel Kant presents an example of a deontological moral theory which argues that the rightness or wrongness of an action depends on whether we are fulfilling our duties as human beings, and not whether they result in desirable consequences. Kant (2002) concurs that he believes that there is a supreme principle of morality which he calls The Categorical Imperative (CI). According to him, the CI should determine a person’s moral duties. As such, some actions are entirely wrong, regardless of whether they are intended to bring better outcomes. Actions like theft, murder, and lying, are entirely wrong and they cannot be used as means to justify an end. He proposes that two questions should guide people's actions. The first question is whether the person can rationally expect everyone to act as they intend to, and the second one is whether the action respects the goals of human beings or it is merely for personal purposes. 

According to Hill (2009), Kant further believes that these questions are similar, and if the answer is no, then the intended action is immoral. For JoEllen’s case, proponents of the Kantian theory would advise that the lady is placed on life support to save her life. According to this theory, suicide is wrong. Whether JoEllen was doing it to ease her pain or for any other reason, it can never be right. Doctors should pursue their duty of care to save her life whether later she can sue for breach of law or lead a more miserable life. 

John Stuart Mill’s Ethical Theory 

John Stuart Mill advocates for consequentialism which is a normative ethical theory that contradicts deontologists like Kant. These theorists argue that the morality of action should depend on the resultant outcomes. In deciding on what is moral, they employ situation ethics, state consequentialism, utilitarianism, egoism, intellectualism, preference utilitarianism, and welfarism. Morality is what produces the right kind of overall consequences. To them, consequences of an action are what that matter. This normative ethical theory explains that its consequences should judge the rightness or wrongness of an action. If the outcome of one's conduct is good, then it is a moral action (Mill, 1998). 

West (2004) explains that theorists take a different stance on similar situations. Though the case does not elaborate the reason for JoEllen attempting suicide, it is likely that she was suffering from something and sought to stop it by taking her own life. Consequentialists advocate for outcomes of an action rather than the actions themselves. Since the lady purposed to end her suffering, it did not matter the method through which she decided to do it. The end justifies the means. As such, they would advise that JoEllen should not be placed on life support. This way, her suffering would be stopped, since saving her life would make her suffer more. She should thus be left to die. 

Justification of an Ethical Position 

The deontologist point of view offers a better moral decision in this particular case. JoEllen attempted suicide and respecting her wish not to be put on life support tantamount to aiding her in committing this crime. Epstein (2007) proposes that the duty of care binds the doctors to save lives. If they grant the patient's wish, they will be undermining this moral duty. Based on the natural rights theories, human beings have absolute natural rights. One of these rights is the right to life. To let the patient die without attempting to save her life equates to infringing on this right. 

Conclusion 

Normative ethics are concerned with ethical actions. Various theories present different definitions of morality in analyzing a person's conduct. Deontology and consequentialism are two among these theories which offer contradicting solutions in an attempt to promote ethics. While deontologists focus on actions explaining that there are those which are prohibited, consequentialists concentrate on the outcome of an action, arguing that the end justifies the means 

References 

Benn, P. (2001). Ethics. London, GBR: University College London Press. 

Epstein, F.H. (2007).The role of the physician in the preservation of life.  QJM: An International 

Journal of Medicine , 100(9), 585-589.  doi: org/10.1093/qjmed/hcm063 

Hill, T. E., Jr. (Ed.). (2009). The Blackwell guide to Kant's ethics. Malden, MA: Wiley- 

Blackwell. 

Kant, E. (2002). Groundwork for the metaphysics of morals (A. W. Wood, Ed. & Trans.). New 

Haven, CT: Yale University Press. 

Mill, J. S. (1998). Utilitarianism (R. Crisp, Ed.). Oxford, GBR: Oxford University Press. 

West, H. R. (2004). An introduction to Mill's utilitarian ethics. West Nyack, NY: Cambridge 

University Press.