Moral realism in nursing.

Area of Science:

• Bioethics
• Philosophy of Nursing
• Moral Philosophy

Background:

• Professor Per Nortvedt has advocated for moral realism in nursing and healthcare for over 15 years.
• Nortvedt's arguments are grounded in clinical nursing and medical contexts, supported by examples.

Purpose of the Study:

• To critically evaluate the arguments for moral realism in healthcare.
• To challenge key components of Nortvedt's moral realism thesis.
• To propose an alternative explanatory framework for moral responses in healthcare.

Main Methods:

• Analysis and critique of Professor Per Nortvedt's arguments for moral realism.
• Examination of the argument from convergence and the argument from clinical sensitivity.
• Development of an alternative 'social conditioning' account.

Main Results:

• Criticisms of moral realism are presented as persuasive.
• The argument from convergence and the argument from clinical sensitivity are rejected.
• Moral responses are argued to be explained by beliefs rather than independent moral realities.

Conclusions:

• Nortvedt's moral realism thesis faces significant challenges.
• An alternative social conditioning account offers comparable explanatory power without positing independent moral properties.
• This challenges the foundation of moral realism in nursing and healthcare ethics.