Ethical principles: The Rights Approach

 Rights Approach

Ethical approaches are a rule or foundation that guides an individual/groups thinking about ethical matters. This has five fundamental approaches which are often referred to as the ethical decision-making frameworks.  The five approaches are virtue, utilitarian, Fairness or justice, the common good and the rights approach.

The rights approach states that an action or policy is only truly right if those affected by the decisions have freely and knowingly consented to treatment after being thoroughly informed about the consequences of the decisions. This means that can not be used as an instrument for moving forward to achieve another goal. 

In class, we had to make superheroes using playdough to visualise the principle of the rights approach. 

The hero (Dr Cure) is a scientist that wants to try a new medication to test its workability. Those in purple are patients who have come forward to be tested. However, before the trials begin, Dr Cure is thoroughly informing the patients about the positive and negative consequences that can be caused by taking the treatment. After listening to him, the patients have different attitudes towards trialling the medication now. This shows the right approach as patients have to be aware of everything that could affect them before they can agree to partake in the tests.