Final answer:
The assertion that negligence involves actions or inactions leading to unintended harm is true. It aligns with legal definitions and the healthcare principle of nonmaleficence, which seeks to avoid unnecessary harm. Utilitarian ethics emphasizes the consequences of actions over intent, further supporting the accountability for unintended harm.
Step-by-step explanation:
The statement "Negligence involves any action or inaction that results in unintended harm to a client" is true. Negligence is a legal concept often used to describe a situation where a person or entity breaches their duty of care, leading to harm or damage to another individual. This can occur through actions taken or not taken, both of which can have consequences not intended by the negligent party.
The principle of nonmaleficence holds that people should act in ways that do not cause harm to others. In medicine, this translates to healthcare professionals ensuring that their interventions do not cause unnecessary harm to patients, and that any potential harms are minimized and justified by significant benefits.
In the context of utilitarian ethics, the intent or character of a person performing an action is not seen as relevant to the moral assessment of that action. Instead, the focus is solely on the consequences of the action. If unintended harm occurs, the agent is still morally responsible even if they had good intentions.