DE LA SALLE HEALTH SCIENCES CAMPUS – COLLEGE OF MEDICINE

Detoxicol
SDLS 2008
Medicine for the intoxicated
Subject: Bioethics Lecture Date: January 12, 2006
Topic: Basic Bioethical Principles in OB 1 Transcriber(s): Joyce and Shoal
Lecturer: Fr. Danny Tiong No. of pages: 3

BIOETHICAL PRINCIPLES GOVERNING OBSTETRICS

1ST PRINCIPLE: LIFE

 Fundamental principle in obstetrics

 That’s why obstetrics is quite hard in the sense that as soon as a pregnant woman comes in as a patient,
you’ll automatically have two patients: the mother and the unborn child

 The gift of life which God the Creator and the Father has entrusted to man, calls him to appreciate the inestimable
value of what has been given and to take responsibility for it

 Inestimable value
♥ Life is a gift from God; it can’t be brought about by any human person
♥ As doctors, we should not estimate our patient as far as his/her dignity is concerned, but deeper
than that and further than that
♥ We should remember that our patient has a life and it is not just an ordinary life
o It is a life given by God

♥ We cannot put any tag price, most especially on children, whether born or unborn

 Taking responsibility
♥ In OB, responsibility for the life given by God works in two ways:
o The responsibility of the patient for herself, towards her own life
o The responsibility of the obstetrician, her accountability to the life of the pregnant patient

 The transmission of human life is entrusted by nature (natural law) to a personal and conscious act and as such
is subject to the all-holy laws of God (divine and natural laws), immutable and inviolable laws, which must be
recognized and observed. For this reason, one cannot use means and follow methods which could be licit in the
transmission of the life of plants and animals

 Natural Law
♥ Divine and natural laws are inviolable and immutable
♥ Can’t be changed and can’t be violated

 Personal and Conscious Act: Role of the Parents

♥ God entrusts to the husband and wife the transmission of life and the act that they do in transmitting
human life must be personal and conscious
♥ When parents practice their rights, it should be subjected to the laws of God
♥ Issue on cloning:
o If it’s done on animals and plants, it doesn’t mean that it’s allowed on humans
o We cannot treat human beings just like the way we treat animals and plants
o Humans are different from plants and animals because human life is a gift from God

 An intervention on the human body affects not only the tissues, the organs and their functions, but also involves the
person himself on different levels.

 Two levels are:

♥ Body level
o Physical part of man
o This is directly involved when it comes to health since this is the part we cure in medicine

♥ Soul
o Spiritual part of man
o The patient has to understand everything: her condition, recommendations, the situation,
and whatever happens to her
o The patient has to understand everything at hand before being able to make a decision
 ♥ The two levels mentioned are important in dealing with our patients
o We should remember that we are not only dealing with patients who have bodies, but we
are also dealing with patients who have souls, most especially, intellect and will

 Intellect and Will

♥ Intellect
o To know, to understand, and to reflect

♥ Will
o To decide and to choose

♥ In any kind of intervention, it affects not only the physical aspect of the person, but also the soul
o Because of the condition on the way she handles the situation

 Fundamental Values
 The life of the human being called into existence
 The special nature of the transmission of human life in marriage

2ND PRINCIPLE: DIGNITY

 From the moment of conception, the life of every human being is to be respected in an absolute way

 Respected in an absolute way (theologically-based reasons why)

♥ Man is the only creature that God has wished for Himself
♥ Man’s soul is immediately created by God
♥ Man bears the image of the Creator
♥ Man’s life is sacred
o Because it involves the creative action of God from its beginning
o It remains forever in a special relationship with the Creator who is its sole end

 Conception
♥ From the time the ovum is fertilized, a new life is begun, which is neither that of the father nor of the
mother; it is rather the life of a new human being, with its own growth; and this life is unique, an
individual different from the parents
♥ Cloning:
o Even in cloning, the clone is not an exact photocopy of the cloned human being
o The two differ in the spiritual part of the human being, which is the soul

3RD PRINCIPLE: CONCEPTION

 Fertilization vs. Conception

 Before, conception was not distinguished from fertilization
 The two were differentiated from each other to make abortion legal
 For our purpose, fertilization = conception

 At the moment of conception, human life comes. God infuses the soul at the moment of conception.

 Reasons for such declaration:

♥ It would never be human if we were not human already
o Human gametes will never become cats

♥ Genetic science demonstrates that from the first instant, the program is fixed as to what this living
being will be
o Organs systems  Human beings

♥ This individual-man, has characteristic aspects that are already well defined
o Physically, the characteristics will not be defined because it not yet developed
o But with our knowledge in genetics, we know that this will eventually develop into a human
being

♥ Its great capacities require time to find their respective places and to be in particular/respective
positions to act
o Since you are dealing with life and you are confronted with a case, always side with life
o Greatest capacities: to think and the will

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 CRITERIA IN MAKING A MORAL JUDGMENT

 Respect, defense and promotion of man

 The fundamental principle is human life
 Its transmission is a personal and a conscious act and it is subjected to the laws of God
 Life is a gift from God

 Man’s “primary and fundamental right” to life

 Man’s dignity as a person endowed with a spiritual soul and a moral responsibility
 Dignity = soul (intellect and will)
♥ In any intervention to the physical part of a human being, we should always consider its spiritual
part

 Man is made in the image and likeness of God

♥ This is seen in the soul, the freedom, the intellect and the will

 Man is called to a beatific communion with God

 When we reach heaven, we will see God face to face, not through our eyes but through our soul
 This makes a person more dignified because life doesn’t end in death; life continues when we reach heaven

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THE FIVE STAGES OF DRUNKENESS

Stage 1 - CLEVER
This is when you suddenly become an expert on every subject in the known universe. You know you know everything and you want to
pass on your knowledge to anyone who will listen. At this stage you are always right.
And, of course, the person you are talking to is very wrong. This makes for an interesting argument when both parties are CLEVER.

Stage 2 - ATTRACTIVE
This is when you realize that you are the most ATTRACTIVE person in the entire bar and that everyone fancies you. You can up to a
perfect stranger, know that they fancy you and really want to talk to you. Bear in mind that you are still CLEVER, so you can talk to this
person about any subject under the sun.

Stage 3 - RICH
This is when you suddenly become the RICHEST person in the room. You can buy drinks for the entire bar because you have a
bottomless wallet. You can also make bets at this stage because of course you are still CLEVER so, naturally, you will always win.
Anyway, it doesn't matter how much you bet because you are RICH. You will also buy drinks for everyone that you fancy, in the
knowledge that you are clearly the most ATTRACTIVE person present.

Stage 4 - INVINCIBLE
You are now ready to pick fights with anyone and everyone, especially those with whom you have been betting or arguing. This is
because you are now INVINCIBLE. At this point you can also go up to the partners of the people who you fancy and challenge them to a
battle of wits or strength. You have no fear of losing this battle, because as well as being INVINCIBLE you are CLEVER, you're RICH and
you're more ATTRACTIVE than them anyway.

Stage 5 - INVISIBLE
This is the final stage of drunkenness. At this point you can do anything, because you are now INVISIBLE. You can dance on a table to
impress the people who you fancy because the rest of the people in the room cannot see you. You can also snog the face off them for the
same reason. You are also INVISIBLE to the people who want to fight you. You can walk through the street singing at the top of your
lungs because no one can see or hear you and because you're still CLEVER you know all the words.

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