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Updated: Jan 19, 2026

Using fMRI to Dissect Moral Judgment

Using fMRI to Dissect Moral Judgment

Published on: April 30, 2023

Conscientious Objection, Moral Integrity, and Professional Obligations.

Mark R Wicclair

Perspectives in Biology and Medicine

|September 10, 2019

Summary

This summary is machine-generated.

Physicians can refuse medical services based on core moral beliefs, but accommodations must not harm patient access or professional standards. This approach balances physician conscience with patient care and ethical obligations.

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Last Updated: Jan 19, 2026

Using fMRI to Dissect Moral Judgment

Using fMRI to Dissect Moral Judgment

Published on: April 30, 2023

Professional Values

Professional Values

The Professional Nurse

The Professional Nurse

Area of Science:

Medical Ethics
Philosophy of Medicine
Professional Responsibility

Background:

Physician conscientious objection is debated, with some arguing personal morals have no place in medicine.
Lauris Kaldjian's defense of conscientious objection uses a "thick" conscience model, which faces criticism.
A "thin" conception of conscience offers an alternative framework for understanding moral objections in healthcare.

Purpose of the Study:

To critique Lauris Kaldjian's "thick" conception of physician conscience.
To propose a "thin" conception of conscience for defending physician objections.
To establish ethical constraints for accommodating conscientious objection in medical practice.

Main Methods:

Philosophical analysis of ethical theories regarding conscience.
Argumentative critique of existing defenses of conscientious objection.
Development of a framework for balancing physician moral integrity with patient rights and professional duties.

Main Results:

Kaldjian's "thick" conscience model is vulnerable to justifiable objections.
A "thin" conscience model, focusing on core moral beliefs, provides a more robust defense for physician refusals.
Accommodating physician conscience requires specific limitations to uphold patient welfare and professional standards.

Conclusions:

A "thin" conception of conscience supports physician refusals based on core moral beliefs.
Accommodating conscientious objection is ethically permissible but must be constrained.
Constraints ensure patient access to information, services, and referrals, prevent discrimination, and avoid undue burdens.