Probing into the Reshaping of Value Ranking in Palliative Care by Technological Rationality: An Analysis Based on the Application of AI Technology in the ICU
Abstract
With the deep integration of technologies into the medical field, technological rationality is profoundly reshaping the practice paradigm in end-of-life care, and the traditional ethical framework is facing severe challenges. Technological rationality is fundamentally altering the practical approaches within palliative care. This shift presents significant difficulties for established ethical frameworks, especially concerning the conflict between algorithmic efficiency and the preservation of human dignity. To navigate these intricate challenges, this paper employs a methodology that integrates philosophical critique with clinical case analysis to examine the alienation of death in the digital era. Initially, the paper clarifies how technological rationality, via a 'triple mechanism', modifies conventional value references in end-of-life care, demonstrating how instrumental logic frequently supersedes value-based rationality. Subsequently, the study underscores the modern dilemmas and ethical crises arising from this transformation, including the reduction of patients to mere data points and the undermining of decision-making autonomy. Ultimately, to address these dilemmas, this paper advocates for a humanistic approach to ethical reconstruction. These actionable proposals are constructed across three dimensions: ontological, aimed at restoring the patient's subjectivity; relational, aimed at rebuilding a transparent decision-making community; and cultural, aimed at integrating localised ethical traditions into technological governance.
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