Ethical standards and principles are the cornerstone of good-quality healthcare services. Through these standards, we can achieve a just future in our communities and families. Individuals expect to experience care that reflects modern ethical standards whenever they receive healthcare services. When accessing healthcare services, patients and their families trust that these principles will be reflected in their healthcare providers. It is through trust that the patients connect with their physicians, as it is this trust that enables us to achieve accurate diagnoses and develop successful treatment plans. When a patient has a poor experience with any healthcare professional, distrust increases, and they become less willing to trust subsequent professionals. The cycle of mistrust grows, and the healthcare system degrades over time, leaving everyone dissatisfied. The first to degrade in an unethical healthcare system is the patient-physician relationship. This is a delicate relationship that needs care and commitment to establish. When there is no trust in a physician or they lack ethical reasoning in their practices, the relationship is the first to go. It is also important not to place all the responsibility for maintaining ethical standards solely on the physician and to acknowledge the institutions and systems they serve in, where most frustration lies. Still, suppose we are to change how we treat our communities; in that case, we must also understand that, although the healthcare system is flawed, the physician must counteract unethical management by fostering strong relationships with our patients. Physicians aim to create a trusting environment where patients can be honest with themselves and us. They strive to develop a partnership in care and recognize that the humanity of our patients is just as important as treating the illness for which they came to see us. Medicine and ethics are inextricably linked and cannot reach their full potential without this acknowledgment.
I will use the metaphysical as an example to better understand the concept of moral reasoning. The esoteric is a constant concern for every patient, whether or not the practitioner is aware of it. The patients are dealing with their health and hence their mortality, and although their health may be extended and, hypothetically, increased, we all understand that we are all mortals. The metaphysical is integral to the human condition, and our mortality is her expression. Health professionals who do not know what this concept means to our species should take the time to engage with this thought. I will not explain how death and metaphysics coexist or how patients deal with their mortality. Instead, I will start by sharing my perspective on how ethics emerged as the central focus of healthcare through the concept of mortality.
Moral reasoning and decision-making within society have evolved due to the development of ethical thinking and, consequently, the sciences of philosophy, which result from our need to understand our mortality. Only recently have healthcare professionals begun practicing medicine without acknowledging the metaphysical, a branch of philosophy and a sister science to ethics. Healthcare professionals could not heal without realizing the metaphysical until recently. Creation, the universe, or God was the center of treatment. Physicians would focus on the connection between the body and mind in the past, when little was understood and known. Within this connection, I argue, moral reasoning emerged. The healer’s goal was to reconnect these two elements. Previously, what was not understood was referred to as God, and to this day, what remains unknown continues to be referred to as God. So, my theory was that the healer understood the unknown, with fewer facts than we do today, but they used morality as the foundation of their healing. Over time, morality alone proved insufficient to treat the patient, leading to a new evolution of thought that paved the way for the scientific revolution, a pivotal period in the development of modern medicine. This era brought advancements in treatment and technology that have made it possible to address illnesses once considered terminal, providing hope to more communities and increasing access to life-saving options. Therefore, ethics should be developed as a philosophy in healthcare to help us reconnect the mind and body by applying a scientific approach with the aid of ethics to understand their connection.
Since then, our society has shifted into a state that can be viewed as more disconnected from one another than ever before. The more disconnected individuals are from themselves and their community, the less inclined they are to consider their mortality. So, when faced with illness and thus their mortality, a physician might not be surprised to see a dissociated patient—dissociated from everything that has to do with their illness, which has little positive effect on the clinical outcome. Therefore, I strongly encourage healthcare professionals to reflect on the daily challenges—the existential, the unknown, the metaphysical, or the concept of God. Perhaps for some, the acknowledgment of the metaphysical is the route to moral reasoning in their own lives. I also believe denying the metaphysical within the patient-physician relationship is a disservice to the profession and the people we treat. Learning to engage with grief and convey the right words to comfort the ill is a valuable skill.
Ethical principles have evolved and progressed over time to reflect our pursuit of a fair future that places people at the center, adopts a humanitarian approach to decision-making, and promotes democratic principles as an integral part of a free society’s development.
Although often associated with only philosophy, ethics has a profound connection to science, particularly in areas where human actions and decisions have significant consequences, such as medicine, environmental science, and technology. Its placement in the realm of metaphysics reflects its focus on understanding concepts that transcend the physical and empirical, dealing with values, principles, and the nature of morality.
In practical terms, ethics can be viewed as a guide for conducting and applying science. Science, by its nature, seeks objective truths about the natural world, while ethics provides the framework for determining how those truths can influence human actions. For instance, in medicine, ethics informs decisions about patient care, research methodologies, and public health policies. The scientific method, grounded in evidence and rationality, often intersects with ethical reasoning, which demands careful consideration of outcomes, fairness, and human dignity.
Modern science cannot operate without considering ethical concerns, as its applications invariably impact people, communities, and societies. As we step forward into the future of medicine, with numerous advancements in diagnostics, treatments, medical research, and genetics, we find ourselves in increasingly complex ethical situations. Society has transformed its thinking and come to understand the necessity of moral principles. If not as patients, then as individuals. With advancements in technology, particularly in AI and its role in healthcare and policymaking, we see a growing need for ethical frameworks in our professions, as it is a powerful tool against the massive rise in propaganda and psychological warfare. Protecting our privacy and our people is a modern concern for many sovereign states. The ethical framework, I believe, should now be an implemented procedure for policymakers, government employees, healthcare providers, and all parties involved in the logistics of the process. We need a rise in awareness of thought, and this is a process that involves ethical mindsets and frameworks. If we are to fight intelligently, it is wiser to do it with a moral framework, as it can be used to reach conclusions.
Currently, the world faces numerous pressing psychological and social issues destabilizing all world regions. Particularly in healthcare, we have seen a rise in discourse surrounding genetics and vaccines, accompanied by a growing distrust in these fields. In these fields, we must implement frameworks that strike a balance. As a physician would do when dealing with pressing issues, such as End-of-Life care. We can identify common ground in policy management and other management styles from fields like palliative care.
Discussions in healthcare and medical research can serve as a platform for learning in other fields of business. Bridging the gap between ideologies and vocations, and fostering a flow of information within an ethical framework, enabling us to build a more united and understanding society.
Ethical Modernity 