PHI-413V Ethical and Spiritual Decision-Making in Health Care Weekly Assignments Paper
PHI-413V Ethical and Spiritual Decision-Making in Health Care Weekly Assignments Paper
Christianity avails a religious view on the nature of ethics and spirituality. It contends that spirituality is the spiritual prism that explains the notion of God in terms of who, what, and how. God is perceived as the eternal and all-powerful being above everything and everyone (Porter, 2022). While the Christian perspective of the nature of spirituality and ethics concerns the notion of God, it contrasts with other views. The purpose of this essay is to explain the Christian perspective of the nature of spirituality and ethics in contrast to the philosophy of postmodern relativism within health care. Further, it seeks to explain scientism and describe two main arguments against it. Similarly, it determines to respond to worldview questions according to my perspective and worldview.
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Christian View of the Nature of Spirituality and Ethics and Postmodern Relativism.
Christian perspective of the nature of spirituality is a way of life that involves beliefs and values related to the ultimate concern (Deng, 2019). For Christians, the utmost respect is God revealed in Jesus Christ, and Christian spirituality requires the fellowship of Christ and living in Christ through the gift of the Holy Spirit. Christian ethics is a virtue ethic that focuses on developing an ethical character. It begins with obedience to a set of rules and laws seen as divine commands reflecting behaviors that are morally required, forbidden, or permitted (Klenk, 2019). The rules are based on divine love, which aims to avail human beings of life, peace, joy, happiness, and tranquility. In nursing, spirituality conforms to God’s expectations without room for ambiguity.
The Christian perspective of spirituality and ethics has implications for health care through guiding decision-making by setting boundaries for accepting choices or options when making decisions. The primary moral and social elements are based on compassion, attention, respect, prayer, and empathy. In addition, most studies have indicated that religious involvement and spirituality are associated with better health outcomes, including greater longevity, coping skills, and health-related quality of life even during chronic illness and less anxiety, depression, and suicide (Gardner et al., 2020).
Postmodernism relativism rejects universal moral and spiritual values and accepts the relativity of all values in all areas. Therefore, it supports no specific value preference. It argues everyone should order their values, value preferences, and approaches. Thus, under the influence of postmodern assumptions, nursing care emphasizes plurality, respect for cultural and individual differences, relativism of truth or reality, constructive discourse, different views to special knowledge, positioning, and listening to other voices (Zardosht, 2020).
Scientism and the main arguments against it.
Scientism believes that science and the scientific method are the best or only objective means by which people should determine normative and epistemological values. It is a hyperbolic trust in the efficacy of natural science methods applied to all investigation areas. In sum, according to scientism, science is the only way of knowing what’s true or accurate. If something hasn’t been verified by science, we’re not justified in saying we know it to be accurate or factual (Peels, 2019).
The two central arguments against scientism are the false dilemma and self-referential incoherence: The concept of false dilemma argument posits that an opinion either misrepresents the results of available options when making a decision or stalls in presenting all the options available. Therefore, the false dilemma argument against scientism argues the theory is fallacious (Peels, 2019). Immaterial things such as the spiritual or divine are beyond the argument and stance of scientism. In relating to nature, scientism doesn’t have the complete answers to its questions. Moreover, studies have shown that scientific studies sometimes contradict other scientific findings. On the other hand, the self-referential incoherence argument claims that when an argument is applied to itself, it refutes itself. Thus, it posits scientism denies itself; it is not valid in self-reference (Peels, 2019).
Ultimate Reality
Ultimate reality is the traditional Christian theistic concept of God. From a Christian perspective, God is the unique source of all reality; besides God, there is nothing tangible. God is the source and essence of all meaning and things: the world in general and human life in particular. Ultimate reality refers to all reality’s supreme, final, and fundamental power. God is the supreme, absolute, and actual power in all reality (Utke, 2021).
The Nature of the Universe
The universe is a concomitant community of beings inseparably connected in space and time. From its start, the universe has had a psychic-spiritual dimension. The universe is a sharing of subjects, not a collection of objects. The Christians believe that God created and made the universe morally good from the beginning. As Christians share in God’s image, they believe they should live according to God’s plan and design. This comprises the care of the earth as well as their own lives and bodies (Gruenler, 2020).
A Human Being
The Christian perspective portrays human beings as self-conscious, willful, innovative entities who, under God, preside over their environment. In other words, they are persons. God made each male and female a person in the likeness of His personhood. Moreover, considered in the meaning of nature, the human person is a physical being, knowledgeable, responsible agent, reasonable and relational being to God, other persons, society, and the purpose of human life (Ware, 2021). In nursing parlance, humans as holistic beings are unique, dynamic, conscious, and multidimensional, capable of abstract reasoning, creativity, aesthetic appreciation, and self-responsibility.
Knowledge
Many theorists have coined their theories about knowledge. For Locke, all knowledge comes exclusively through experience. He argues that at birth, the mind is a blank slate that humans fill with ideas as they experience the world through the five senses (Woozley, 2020). But according to Aristotle, he alludes that all instruction given or received by way of argument proceeds from pre-existent accumulative knowing based upon particular experience.
The theorist though having divergent opinions converges on common ideas about evidence, experience, and acquiring relative to knowledge. So that the worldview about knowledge concerns developing new evidence through experience (either by experiment or observation) and association. Thus, according to the worldview, knowledge is the idea of knowing something with familiarity obtained through experience or association. Further, it is acquainted with or understanding a science or art (Otaka, 2019). In nursing parlance, knowledge is how the whole purpose of caring for patients is achieved; it underpins the entire profession, defines nurses in terms of what they do, and aids in differentiating nurses from lay carers or care support workers.
My Basis of Ethics
My basis of ethics emanates from the realization of being created in the image and likeness of a moral God. It is built on well-founded standards of right and wrong that prescribe what I ought to undertake, usually regarding rights, obligations, benefits to society, fairness, or specific virtues. Ethics guides and directs my life and aids me in role model leadership in my nursing profession.
My Purpose for Existence
The central theme of my existence rotates on the axis of dependence and ownership to the ultimate Reality-God who fulfills his purpose for me. As a Christian, God’s purpose for me is my purpose. This is key to comprehending God’s purpose for my life since He is the essence of my life- the reason for my existence. God has accounted for my days and will fulfill every purpose He has for me. However, my choices and actions also really matter. And as such, my life purpose consists of the central motivating aims of life—the call and reasons for living- to be obedient to God and be a blessing to humanity. The purpose guides my life decisions, influences my behavior, shapes my goals, offers a sense of direction, and creates meaning in my life (Santayana, 2021). Simply put, I am here for the sake of others, and for the good of humanity.
Conclusion
Christianity avails a worldview perspective on the nature of ethics and spirituality. It argues that spirituality explains the notion of God as the ultimate reality understood as the eternal and all-powerful being above everything and everyone. So the Christian perspective of the nature of spirituality is a way of life that involves beliefs and values related to the ultimate concern. Similarly, Christian ethics is a virtue aiding in the development of ethical character, beginning with obedience to a set of rules and laws that shapes behaviors morally acceptable and needed in health care to guide relational aspects and decision-making. In addition, spirituality offers people a way to comprehend suffering and illness. Spiritual beliefs can also impact how people cope with illness. Healthcare providers can create more holistic and compassionate care systems by addressing the spiritual issues of patients, loved ones, and themselves. Moreover, on the other hand, postmodernism relativism opposes and abandons universal moral and spiritual values but agrees on the relativism of all values in all areas. Further, scientism is not science but the opinion that places science and scientific procedures as the only objective means to ascertain reality and truth on normative and epistemological values. The view faces criticism from the false dilemma and self-referential incoherence arguments because it is both fallacious and refutes itself.
References
Deng, G. (2019). The origins of postmodern moral relativism. Filozofia Publiczna i Edukacja Demokratyczna, 8(1), 77-94. http://dx.doi.org/10.14746/fped.2018.7.2.2019.8.1.5
Gardner, F., Tan, H., & Rumbold, B. (2020). What spirituality means for patients and families in health care. Journal of Religion and Health, 59(1), 195-203. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10943-018-0716-x
Gruenler, R. G. (2020). The Inexhaustible God: Biblical Faith and the Challenge of Process Theism. Wipf and Stock Publishers.
Klenk, M. (2019). Moral philosophy and the ‘ethical turn’in anthropology. Zeitschrift für Ethik und Moralphilosophie, 2(2), 331-353. https://doi.org/10.1007/s42048-019-00040-9
Otaka, K. (2019). Reconsidering the Meaning of Knowledge Based on Experiences of Community‐Based Social Education Practice in Japan. New Directions for Adult and Continuing Education, 2019(162), 85-96. https://doi.org/10.1002/ace.20328
Porter, J. (2022). Trajectories in Christian ethics. Encyclopedia of Religious Ethics, 550-558. https://doi.org/10.1002/9781118499528.ch65
Peels, R. (2019). Should We Accept Scientism? The Argument from Self-Referential Incoherence. In What Is Scientific Knowledge? (pp. 274-287). Routledge.
Santayana, G. (2021). The life of reason: The phases of human progress. Prabhat Prakashan.
Utke, A. R. (2021). Ultimate Reality and Meaning and the Cosmic Information Field. Ultimate Reality and Meaning, 38(1-2), 82-105. https://doi.org/10.3138/uram.38.1-2.82
Ware, K. (2021). “In the image and likeness”: The uniqueness of the human person. In Theological Anthropology, 500 Years after Martin Luther (pp. 48-64). Brill. https://doi.org/10.1163/9789004461253_004
Woozley, A. D. (2020). Theory of Knowledge: an introduction. Routledge.
Zardosht, R. (2020). Nursing care and postmodernism. Future of Medical Education Journal, 10(2). http://fmej.mums.ac.ir/article_15679.html
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Assessment Description
Based on the required topic Resources, write a reflection about worldview and respond to following:
In 250-300 words, explain the Christian perspective of the nature of spirituality and ethics in contrast to the perspective of postmodern relativism within health care.
In 250-300 words, explain what scientism is and describe two of the main arguments against it.
In 750-1,000 words, answer each of the worldview questions according to your own personal perspective and worldview:
What is ultimate reality?
What is the nature of the universe?
What is a human being?
What is knowledge?
What is your basis of ethics?
What is the purpose of your existence?
Remember to support your reflection with the topic Resources.
While APA style is not required for the body of this assignment, solid academic writing is expected, and documentation of sources should be presented using APA formatting guidelines, which can be found in the APA Style Guide, located in the Student Success Center.
This assignment uses a rubric. Please review the rubric prior to beginning the assignment to become familiar with the expectations for successful completion.