Two models of ethics – about the morality of the utilitarian and the personalist
Two models of ethics – about the morality of the utilitarian and the personalist

Summary/Abstract: The article presents two principal and opposing currents of contemporary ethics as a modelfor professional ethics. It shows the fundamental theses of personalism and utilitarianism andconclusions for practice resulting from the basic assumptions of both these theories. In this case,their professional codes of ethics should be considered the practical dimension of professionalethics. We assume that they show ethically appropriate professional activities. We believe thatespecially the codes of ethics of medical professions should express the essential ethical values that are the goal of the professional activities of a doctor, nurse, pharmacist, or laboratorydiagnostician. The analysis of the primary theses of personalism and utilitarianism shows thatthe assumptions of these two positions are incompatible with each other. Therefore, combiningethical norms of a personalistic and utilitarian nature in one code of professional ethics destroysthe power of its impact because it means postulating contradictory actions on the part of theaddressees. The principal conclusion of the presented analysis is the postulate that the codes ofethics of medical professions declared as an expression of personalistic ethics should retain thischaracter in their obligations.

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