Which is the best counterexample to the principle in the following Argument from Principle?
[Pay attention to the criteria for good counterexamples from Chapter 6 of Doing Practical Ethics.]
1) It's always wrong for a health care practitioner to deceive a patient.
2) Prescribing a placebo is deceiving a patient. So, it's wrong for a doctor to prescribe a placebo.
A) It is possible to prescribe a placebo without deceiving a patient -- perhaps if you asked the patient before you ever did an exam if they were ok with having placebos prescribed if there are no other treatment options available.
B) Imagine an EMT who is treating a person on the scene of an accident. The EMT notices that the person is very upset, and it's making it harder to take care of them. They're losing so much blood that they'll be harder to save if they don't calm down. In fact, they're likely to die, but getting them calm is the only chance they have to save them. But, the person isn't really able to understand their situation, because they're in shock. They ask, "Am I going to be ok?" To try to calm them down, the EMT says, "Yes, you're going to be fine. Just relax and we'll get you all taken care of." This is deceiving them, but it's not wrong.
C) There are some times where it is clearly NOT wrong to deceive a patient.
D) Imagine that a doctor who is treating a patient with a complicated cancer. The patient has a history of depression but is very competent and well-informed about their medical condition. The doctor worries that telling the patient about their recent diagnostic test results will upset them and make them less likely to take care of themselves. So, the doctor lies and says the results came back great.

Question

Which is the best counterexample to the principle in the following Argument from Principle?
[Pay attention to the criteria for good counterexamples from Chapter 6 of Doing Practical Ethics.]
 1) It's always wrong for a health care practitioner to deceive a patient.
2) Prescribing a placebo is deceiving a patient. So, it's wrong for a doctor to prescribe a placebo.
A) It is possible to prescribe a placebo without deceiving a patient -- perhaps if you asked the patient before you ever did an exam if they were ok with having placebos prescribed if there are no other treatment options available. 
B) Imagine an EMT who is treating a person on the scene of an accident. The EMT notices that the person is very upset, and it's making it harder to take care of them. They're losing so much blood that they'll be harder to save if they don't calm down. In fact, they're likely to die, but getting them calm is the only chance they have to save them. But, the person isn't really able to understand their situation, because they're in shock. They ask, "Am I going to be ok?" To try to calm them down, the EMT says, "Yes, you're going to be fine. Just relax and we'll get you all taken care of." This is deceiving them, but it's not wrong. 
C) There are some times where it is clearly NOT wrong to deceive a patient. 
D) Imagine that a doctor who is treating a patient with a complicated cancer. The patient has a history of depression but is very competent and well-informed about their medical condition. The doctor worries that telling the patient about their recent diagnostic test results will upset them and make them less likely to take care of themselves. So, the doctor lies and says the results came back great.

Quizplus · Accepted Answer

The Answer of Which is the best counterexample to the principle in the following Argument from Principle?
[Pay attention to the criteria for good counterexamples from Chapter 6 of Doing Practical Ethics.]
 1) It's always wrong for a health care practitioner to deceive a patient.
2) Prescribing a placebo is deceiving a patient. So, it's wrong for a doctor to prescribe a placebo.
A) It is possible to prescribe a placebo without deceiving a patient -- perhaps if you asked the patient before you ever did an exam if they were ok with having placebos prescribed if there are no other treatment options available. 
B) Imagine an EMT who is treating a person on the scene of an accident. The EMT notices that the person is very upset, and it's making it harder to take care of them. They're losing so much blood that they'll be harder to save if they don't calm down. In fact, they're likely to die, but getting them calm is the only chance they have to save them. But, the person isn't really able to understand their situation, because they're in shock. They ask, "Am I going to be ok?" To try to calm them down, the EMT says, "Yes, you're going to be fine. Just relax and we'll get you all taken care of." This is deceiving them, but it's not wrong. 
C) There are some times where it is clearly NOT wrong to deceive a patient. 
D) Imagine that a doctor who is treating a patient with a complicated cancer. The patient has a history of depression but is very competent and well-informed about their medical condition. The doctor worries that telling the patient about their recent diagnostic test results will upset them and make them less likely to take care of themselves. So, the doctor lies and says the results came back great.

Which Is the Best Counterexample to the Principle in the Following