In this article, we will discuss the age old question: “Do I have to floss?”. I will give an analysis of the understanding of the term “have to” in terms of physical necessity and moral obligation. The discussion will be tailored to a introductory audience on the topic of hypothetical and categorical imperatives. It may…
Tag: categorical imperative
Disclosing Office Financials to Employees
In the Ethical Moment feature “Ethical issues when a dentist with an active practice dies,” Dr. Jill M. Burns, referencing the ADA code of ethics, suggested that dentists are obligated to inform staff of practice debt due to the “ethical obligation to ‘provide a workplace environment that supports respectful and collaborative relationships for all those…
Seeing Emergency Patients of Non-Record
The following was a question submitted by a student at Northern Michigan University. Please use the “contact us” page to make a submission of articles or questions that will be posted on this blog website. Question: If a person has a dental procedure (extraction and bone graft) by an “out of town” surgeon, returns home and…
Being Good is Practical
Many people claim that when I bring up ethics that my head is “in the clouds.” I take this as a compliment rather than an insult just as Socrates may have viewed the play The Clouds by Aristophanes. Socrates is portrayed as a sophist (someone who argues to confuse but has no substance), literally in the clouds…