Ethics
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KEY IDEAS In this topic, you will learn that: ✚
ethical understanding should be applied when undertaking research ethical approaches guide discussion and decision-making in research.
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Ethical understanding
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Ethical understanding is a principle that should be considered across all VCE Sciences. When undertaking student-designed investigations or evaluating research, you must apply an ethical understanding. Applying an ethical understanding means applying integrity when collecting and analysing data. You need to consider how the investigation will affect the environment and living things. Decisions based on science-related ethical issues take into consideration scientific knowledge, current and future needs as well as sociocultural, economic, political and legal factors. Some practical investigations involve humans as subjects. In these situations, your teacher is responsible for ensuring the ethical concepts are followed. You are not expected to use animals in this course. You may only use animals if it complies with the law.
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Ethical approaches
integrity
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An ethical approach will help guide your discussions, thoughts and decision-making. Using an ethical approach means that you explore ethical issues in context, consider ethical dilemmas, reflect on the various courses of action and make sure that your final decisionmaking considers all previous concepts. There are three types of ethical approaches. • A consequences-based approach considers the implications of the decision by maximising the positive outcomes and minimising the negative consequences. This can be expressed as ‘the end justifies the means’. • A duty-based, or rules-based, approach means that people have a responsibility to act in a particular way. This approach is not concerned with the consequences of the outcome, as long as the agreed rules were followed during the process. • A virtues-based approach considers a person’s virtue or moral character, not the action. It considers good behaviours and actions. Did the person mean to do the right thing?
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the ethical principle about the commitment to search for knowledge and be honest in the approach
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justice
the ethical principle to ensure a fair and equal consideration of all factors
beneficence the ethical principle of a commitment to minimising risk and doing good OXFORD UNIVERSITY PRESS
Ethical concepts When exploring ethical issues and dilemmas, you need to consider ethical concepts to determine the acceptability of particular effects and causes. • Integrity is the commitment to being honest. When researching, it is important to honestly communicate results and research, whether favourable or unfavourable. • Justice is the moral rightness and commitment to fairly assessing claims, means and actions. It means that all are treated equally to make sure moral obligation stands. • Beneficence is the idea that the purpose of a person’s action should be to do well and minimise the risk of harm. This involves analysing potential risks against the benefits of the action. CHAPTER 1 BIOLOGY TOOLKIT
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