PaedDr. Slavomír Laca, PhD.
Currently, we can state that there is a great increase in scientific knowledge about man as a rational individual at the level of the human population, up to various issues. Multiple and complicated ethical questions regarding human life are increasingly coming to the fore. The publication "Selected chapters from ethics for social health professions" is a summary of how to conceive ethical-theoretical starting points, to recognize problem areas regarding the ethical standards of human life, to specify content parallels of ethical aspects and principles of "abortion and euthanasia" and the view of the Catholic Church. In the pages of this publication, we want to provide a multidimensional view of human being within the framework of ethical problems that currently occur in a secularized society. In order to achieve a comprehensive view, it is necessary to point out the issue from several points of view, which we present in individual chapters.
Despite a certain skepticism and underestimation of this issue by society, it often turns out that adequate attention and an adequate solution to these ethical reflections is a limiting condition for the existence of knowledge itself, which must be brought to the attention of a wide professional and lay public.
PREFACE
Man is an essence that, based on his knowledge, can choose freely and thus can live better or worse. By his factual behavior, he decides on a choice between a particularistic and a holistic approach, between rejecting responsibility when he focuses only on pragmatically mundane goals and accepting responsibility for his life. At the beginning of the new millennium, in the context of experiences with world wars, extermination camps, terrorist actions and in the confrontation with the possibility of a nuclear, ecological and economic disaster, he urgently asks himself the age-old question: "What can I do?"
The issue of freedom comes to the fore. Historical and personal experience teaches us that life requires self-restraint, the essence of which lies in the orientation to the good. Moral relativism brings what is not good and what is against life - murders, genocides, inhumane conditions, slavery, trading with women, exploitation of children, etc. John Paul II. in the encyclical Centesimus annus, he recalls that communism promised freedom to all humanity, but in reality enslaved entire nations. This is how humanity came to another historical experience, in which it was confirmed once again that freedom without truth loses its content. If freedom is to benefit a person, it must be a responsible freedom that reflects the whole, as the Savior himself teaches us: "I am the way, the truth and the life." (Jn 14, 6). Today's human community, built on scientific thinking, is threatened by reductionist thinking, and therefore its enrichment with the spiritual dimension of the human heart and its calling to God's love is gaining relevance. In this context, the message of Christian personalism is very important, which clearly articulates that the other person does not represent a threat, but as a neighbor gives us the opportunity for full realization.
The ancient philosophical principle finis est causa causarum reminds even today that finality plays a very important role in the chain of social causality, as a person actively enters into his private and social history with the awareness of a certain goal. The book Selected chapters from ethics for social-health professions invites to a deep reflection on the current problems of human life, which are amplified by the unprecedented development of knowledge in the natural sciences and in the technical field. The presented approach to the topic does not want to be a simple key to solving any situation, as each situation is unique and unrepeatable. Philosophical and theological reflection of current ethical problems draws attention in a Socratic manner to the necessity of respecting the goal and meaning and is helpful for making responsible decisions in dilemmatic situations.
prof. PhDr. Pavol Dancák, PhD.
CONTENT
1 UNDERSTANDING HUMAN LIFE 1.1 Philosophical-anthropological concept of man 1.2 Perception of man from the point of view of religion 1.3 Ethics of life
2 BASIC CONCEPTS OF ETHICS RELATED TO HEALTHCARE 2.1 Ontological concepts of good and evil in the understanding of ethics and health 2.2 Health and healthcare 2.3 Ethical principles in health care 2.4 Formation of ethical principles in health care
3 MEDICAL ETHICS 3.1 Medical code 3.2 Ethics commissions 3.3 Codes of ethics 3.4 Ethical requirements for the health care profession
4 INTERRUPTION 4.1 Reasons for abortions 4.2 Abortion methods 4.3 Consequences of abortions 4.4 Eugenic and therapeutic abortion
5 CATHOLIC CHURCH AND INTERRUPTION 5.1 Documents of the Magisterium of the Church on abortion 5.2 Conservative view of abortion 5.3 Liberal attitude to abortion
6 PROBLEMS OF INTERRUPTIONS IN THE WORLD 6.1 Termination in the US 6.2 Interruption in Europe 6.3 Interruption in Slovakia 6.4 Current situation of abortions in Slovakia
7 EUTHANASIS 7.1 History of euthanasia 7.2 Socio-ethical aspect of euthanasia 7.3 Medical-bioethical aspect of euthanasia 7.4 Legal aspect of euthanasia
8 EUTHANASIS AND THE CATHOLIC CHURCH 8.1 Documents of the Catholic Church on euthanasia 8.2 John Paul II. and euthanasia 8.3 Proponents of euthanasia
9 PROBLEMS OF EUTHANASIA IN THE WORLD 9.1 The issue of euthanasia in Europe 9.2 Status and acceptance of euthanasia in European countries 9.3 Euthanasia and the Slovak Republic
CONCLUSION
A cultured and humane person, as today's man claims to be, should realize that his every action has a dichotomous character. First of all, it is highly individual, but last but not least, it has enormous moral, ethical and social consequences. Consequences that many do not consider out of ignorance, others out of fear of responsibility.
Man is a social creature, and therefore he should be aware of the impact of his actions, especially when he directly decides or intervenes in the lives of other people through his actions or thinking. One of the ambitions of this publication was to point out that life is one of the values that must be constantly noticed and that time does not take away from its beauty and preciousness. Because all interventions against life are linked to socio-cultural origins and are the product of a utilitarian society that does not allow suffering, but on the contrary, emphasizes individual freedom understood as freedom without responsibility.
In this publication, we tried to include basic attitudes, from the ethical, religious, and social level. The comparison of all opinions helped us to penetrate deeper into the issue itself.
Solving the ethical reflection of our issue is a very difficult and, last but not least, complex phenomenon. The first step to finding a solution to this serious problem is for everyone to realize the urgency of this act and also the beauty of life that is contained in every human situation. Any imposition of a one-sided opinion leads to nothing, only deepening the problem. A step towards solving the problem could be a dialogue, but a dialogue conducted not in the spirit of competition for the truth, but in the spirit of partnership in the search. Therefore, it is necessary to constantly point out the hierarchy of values and remind society of its moral and ethical treatment of human life at every moment. Not only the ethical and moral result is important, but also a healthy view of the issue, as well as the approach of the circumstances and the search for a common solution that will be acceptable to all.
© Author PaedDr. Slavomír Laca, PhD. VŠZaSP St. Elizabeth, Bratislava
Reviewers Prof. MUDr. Vladimír Krčméry, DrSc., Dr.h.c. VŠZaSP St. Elizabeth, Bratislava Prof. PhDr. Pavol Dancák, PhD. Greek Catholic Faculty of Theology, University of Prešov, Prešov Doc. PhDr. Darina Wiczmandyová, PhD. FZaSP Trnava University, Trnava Doc. MUDr. Maria Belovičová, PhD. Faculty of Medicine, Pavel Jozef Šafarik University, Košice
Publisher: VŠZaSP sv. Elizabeth, Bratislava Year of publication: 2011 Quantity: 300 pieces Print: BEKI desing s.r.o. ISBN 978-80-8132-015-6 EAN 9788081320156