A competent patient is refusing a life-saving treatment for religious reasons. Their physician is distressed by this refusal, but reasons that respect for the rights and autonomy of the patient trumps all other considerations. To ignore the patient's decision to refuse treatment would be to treat the patient merely as a means and not as an end. This physician is adhering to a _______ moral theory in their reasoning.

Question

Quizplus · Accepted Answer

The physician is adhering to a Kantian moral theory, which emphasizes the importance of treating individuals as ends in themselves and respecting their autonomy and decision-making capacity, rather than merely as means to an end (such as preserving life at all costs). This approach aligns with Kant's categorical imperative, particularly the principle of respecting individuals' rationality and autonomy.

A Competent Patient Is Refusing a Life-Saving Treatment for Religious