Ethics: A Matter of Opinion?

By Juliea McCall, DVM

The philosopher Bernard Rollin states that “detecting ethical questions is, in some ways, like detecting lameness.” (Rollin, p.32) We intuitively know that something is amiss, but the ability to identify the problem requires training.

Why then, are our responses as veterinarians to ethical dilemmas frequently described as impulsive or intuitive? Why do both veterinarians and clients commonly default to describing ethics as “a matter of opinion” when conflict arises?