Introduction to Bioethics: Fact vs. Value Distinction

Facts vs. Value Distinction

Lesson 3

Divide class into two groups

Group 1- Define the term “fact” and then list facts about CHS

Group 2- Define the term “ values” and the list CHS values

Discuss at your table

1. What are the 4 parts of an ethical argument?

2. What fuels Bioethics?

3. What is a fact?

4. What is a value?

5. How does value differ from a fact?

6. Can fact and value ever be the same?

Parts of an Ethical Argument

1. Finding an question (ethical question)

2. Gathering information (relevant facts/relevant questions)

3. Understanding the stakeholders and their positions (values)

4. Other Ethical Considerations1. Respect for Persons

2. Maximizing Benefits/Minimizing Harms

3. Justice/Fairness

What fuels Bioethics?

***Advancement in Biology and Technology often raise ethical questions and is the “fuel” of Bioethics!***

Intro to fact and values:

The distinction between values and facts is made at the conceptual level… in other words distinctions are made between types of ideas!

Values Are ideas about the way you want things to

be or the way you think they should be. Are attempts to evaluate or determine worth They reflect desires, opinions, and feelings of

those who hold them.Examples:

People shouldn’t chew with their mouths open. Abe was the best president ever.

*Values are often a heated topics, highly debated, and not easily agreed upon!

Facts Are ideas that attempt to describe the way things are.

Examples: “The sky is blue.” “Traffic is heavy.” “Male blue jay eggs are bigger than female blue jay eggs”

In ethics, facts don’t have to be absolutely/universally true!

Facts are: Attempts at describing the way things are Generally agreed upon

Even though the sky (itself) isn’t blue… no one will attack you when you make that statement.

Summary of Facts and Values

Facts: Descriptive ideas that are neutral in worth and describe and idea and never is an evaluation.

Value: Prescriptive ideas that is based on an evaluation or judgment based on personal opinion

Territory of Ethics

Ethics is only concerned with values with those ideas that attempt to prescribe the way things ought to be

Ethics has nothing to say about facts or ideas such as “Is the sky blue?”

Ethics is more concerned about prescriptive ideas: “Desiring money is wrong.”

Group Discussion

A. Do facts actually exist? Can ideas ever reflect the reality they attempt to describe? Or are we bound to a world of values?

B. From where do values originate? How do individuals and groups acquire values? From where have you acquired yours?

C. Read the following statements and determine which express facts and which express values (explain why):

Universal healthcare is the best way to distribute medical resources to people.

People are currently allowed to refuse life support. Animal testing is necessary in the medical industry.