The conscience - a persons moral sense of right and wrong, it acts as a compass to one’s behavior. But does the conscience hold a legitimate role in today’s medical practice ? Two ethics professors, Udo Schuklenk and Julian Savulescu have offered objections as to why they view conscientious objection to be incompatible with modern day medicine. But are they correct in their thinking? Is there any justification for a medical practitioner do refuse to carry out procedures based on moral or religious grounds ? In my opinion, both authors offer illogical thinking in their thinking and misrepresent and misdescribe the conscientious objector. Savulescu begins his article with a Shakespearian quote “Conscience is but a word cowards use, devised at first to keep the strong in awe” (Richard III V.iv.1.7). He begins with this quote normalize what he is about to argue and not leave the reader in a state of shock following what he is about to argue. From this (ironic yet poorly referenced) quote, Savulescu pursues an ill-thought out argument which was deserving of the avalanche of criticism which it received. …show more content…
Does he believe that humanists and secularists lack a conscience. Values are values regardless of religious belief and it is not possible to split them artificially into religious and