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Viewpoint: How to avoid a dichotomy between autonomy and beneficence: from liberalism to communitarianism and beyond
Author(s) -
Sutrop M.
Publication year - 2011
Publication title -
journal of internal medicine
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 2.625
H-Index - 160
eISSN - 1365-2796
pISSN - 0954-6820
DOI - 10.1111/j.1365-2796.2011.02349_2.x
Subject(s) - beneficence , communitarianism , autonomy , liberalism , medicine , personal autonomy , law and economics , environmental ethics , epistemology , law , philosophy , sociology , political science , politics
The history of medical ethics demonstrates how different values have beenupheld at different times and how ethical frameworks have developed: how certain arguments have risen to prominence, while others have fallen into disrepute. The central values of the classical Hippocratic ethicswere nonmaleficence (Do no harm!), beneficence and confidentiality. After World War II, medical ethics started to advocate patient autonomy in the guise of informed consent. However, over the last 20 years, there hasbeengrowing dissatisfaction with the individual rights-centred ethical framework.