Defense Date

4-10-2025

Graduation Date

Spring 5-9-2025

Availability

Immediate Access

Submission Type

thesis

Degree Name

PhD

Department

Health Care Ethics

School

McAnulty College and Graduate School of Liberal Arts

Committee Chair

Gerard Magill

Committee Member

Joris Gielen

Committee Member

Peter Osuji

Keywords

Principle of Double Effect, Principle of Cooperation, Catholic Healthcare, Compromise Principles, clinical ethics, organizational ethics, Catholic Identity

Abstract

The Roman Catholic tradition has developed comprehensive ethical principles to address complex practical scenarios that encounter foundational value compromises. These are referred to as compromise principles and they have both a narrow and a broad focus. Narrowly, these compromise principles are critical for Catholic healthcare organizations in the United States with regard to the guidelines of the US Bishops in their Ethical and Religious Directives for Catholic Health Care Services. More broadly, these compromise principles are relevant in the secular realm regarding global health. This dissertation examines these varying perspectives, hence its title, “The Contribution of Catholic Compromise Principles in Global Health.”

The layout of the chapters in the dissertation is as follows. Chapter one provides a summary of the general analysis. Chapter two presents the context of the argument by discussing the main two compromise principles in the Catholic tradition, the principle of double effect and the principle of cooperation. The subsequent chapters apply these principles to a variety of contexts with ethical compromises that are pivotal in global health. Chapter three discusses societal responsibility regarding compromise, narrowly in relation to organizational responsibility for health care, and more broadly in relation to global responsibility for climate change. Chapter four discusses gender and reproductive compromises, first with regard to the hermeneutics of human nature in transgender conflicts, and secondly with regard to the permissibility of preemptive emergency contraception. Chapter five then examines end of life compromises regarding three pervasive issues: ars morienda in palliative care, Meaningful Dying Facilitation, and neurological criteria of death. Finally, chapter six presents a brief conclusion to the dissertation.

Language

English

Additional Citations

Scott N. Helstad, “The Resilience of Double Effect Reasoning in Healthcare,” chapter eight, pp. 150-174.

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