Principle based ethics - An investigation of the foundation and the importance of isolated ethical principles in applied ethics in the field

The aim of the project is an investigation of so called principle based ethics, a field within applied ethics, with a special focus on its applicability as a methodological tool for bioethical evaluations. The project will study the relevant methodologica l problems and the theoretical basis of the different methods. Two methods in particular will be the objects of the investigation and will be compared: the ethical matrix method and the multi criteria mapping method. The latter will be tested in two varia nts, a) using already defined ethical principles and b) without such constraints. The practical-empirical part will, among other things, result in guidelines for further application.