The Ethics of Radiological Protection: A Focus on Values and Objectives

Christopher Clement emphasised how the RP system is based on science, values and experience and that ethics focuses on values, normative statements, while facts as descriptive statements, are more a question of science. Even full and complete knowledge is not sufficient to decide what ought to be since it is not possible to derive statements of values (what ought to be) from statements of facts (what is). In the case of radiation effects where knowledge is far from complete, value judgements are necessary. Different types of values include aesthetics with beauty and harmony, and ethics with good and right, as values. The RP system relates to human conduct, which is about action and focus on right and wrong actions. The presentation briefly reviewed different schools of ethical though (Aristotele, Bentham and Kant) and theories of normative ethics in particular consequentialism /utilitarianism and deontology. These approaches are elegant, but have flaws. A more complex approach was presented on the basis of Ross indicating that obligations must be balanced depending on each circumstance, where ethical decisions are a matter of balancing potentially conflicting responsibilities or values. A pragmatic approach was proposed, seeking a set of values relevant to the RP system, commonly acceptable to the widest possible range of cultures. The challenge with this approach rests in clarifying the values (responsibilities/duties/obligations) related to the system of radiological protection and at the same time in clarifying the objectives in the protection of people and of the environment. A list of thoughts was proposed, in the final part of the presentation, concerning the objective of providing a reasonable level of protection to all people in medical exposures, occupational and public exposures, which includes: the recognition of the special status of children, acceptable to all, but not necessarily equal for all and a separate treatment for the very small segments of society suffering from specific and rare medical conditions