Question

Principlism, especially in the context of bioethics in the United States, has often been critiqued for raising the principle of autonomy to the highest place, such that it trumps all other principles or values. How would you rank the importance of each of the four principles? How do you believe they would be ordered in the context of the Christian biblical narrative? Refer to the topic overview and other topic study materials in your response.

Answer 1

Principlism is the Principal approach that entails medicine ethics. This ethical principle promotes moral values in guiding the health care professional during ethical decision making. Principlism gives the individual the right to take decisions by using their knowledge and skills. According to biblical, ethics are placed in the order of autonomy, beneficence, nonmaleficence, and justice.

Among the four principles, autonomy takes a central place. Because it gives the right to the individual to take a treatment decision on his/her own. It provides the individual right to accept or reject the treatment. The level of conflict is minimal in this principal, so it is ranked as the highest place. Next place, is given to beneficence is the act of helping others. Good samaritan law plays under the principle of this. It focuses on the kindness of medical professionals. Beneficence is the doing benefit for individual and allocating of resources equally. The third place is with the principle of nonmaleficence, not harming of others. The physician must analyse the benefit and harm of the particular procedure and gives more importance for not harming the patient. The physician should concern about the environmental, political, and social harm before proceeding any treatment. Justice is the fourth place of ethical principle which gives more importance to respect patient's rights, having access to health care, and maintain equality in health care. Justice is taken based on the principle of autonomy, beneficence, mon -maleficence. So it is in the last place of ethical principle.