The Transcendence of Virtue Ethics Over Utilitarianism and Deontology in Bioethics and Medicine: Lessons from South Africa.

Abstract

The field of biomedical ethics navigates complex moral landscapes, applying ethical principles and frameworks to inform decision-making in healthcare and research settings. At the forefront of this field are two influential ethical theories: utilitarianism and deontology. The interplay between these two theories significantly shapes ethical decision-making. However, reconciling their principles can be challenging, particularly when they yield conflicting courses of action. Resolving ethical dilemmas in bioethics and medical contexts demands thoughtful analysis, balancing competing values and principles to yield decisions that respect the autonomy and dignity of patients while promoting their well-being and safety. This paper evaluates three approaches – utilitarian, deontological and virtue ethics – using examples from South Africa. However, it argues in favour of virtue ethics for the following reasons: in contrast to utilitarian and deontological approaches, which focus on what I ought to do in various circumstances, emphasising actions and looking particularly to their consequences, the central questions of virtue ethics are: what is the good life for me as a human being; what kind of person should I want to become? Because moral actions entail more than just calculating outcomes, virtue ethics also transcends the focus on consequences.