For example, in the medical setting of end of life issues, the macroethical considerations may include abstract reflections on the nature of life and death and high level principles about the “sacredness” or otherwise of life, the nature of personhood and the relevance and ethical force of competing consequences. By contrast, the microethical processes relate to the internal details of the interactive engagements between the doctor and the patient, including non-linguistic and affective responses, often signified by small adjustments in facial expressions, posture, tone of voice or choice of words, and the great variety of meanings and values and which both participants call.
Ethical considerations in biomedicine, engineering and other technical professions include issues relating both to large societal problems7 and to particular professions and professional conduct. Pharmaceuticals present particular macroethical challenges. Drug designers seek to prevent and treat diseases by modifying of stem cells and producing targeting drugs that have specific targeting mechanisms.8 However, the application of drugs or other therapeutic techniques also requires specific examination of the needs of individual patients, including their health conditions, their cultural preferences, their personal values and those of their families, and economic and other considerations. The negotiation of these latter considerations occurs within the field of microethics.
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