Autonomy Flashcards
Lec 26
What is autonomy?
self-government. capacity and freedom to make informed, uncoerced decision and independent choices.
What are the 4 core values in the principles of biomedical ethics?
- respect for autonomy 2, nonmaleficence 3. beneficence 4. justice
What doe Mill say about the value of autonomy?
the only reason to take away autonomy is if it would harm others. when it only concerns oneself autonomy is necessary. so less utility will be created if autonomy isnt considered.
What is Mill’s harm principle?
liberty supersedes safety for actions that only affect oneself. but we should interfere if doing so will prevent harm to others. there’s more utility produced by upholding freedom of choice
What are the necessary and sufficient conditions for acting autonomously?
- liberty - independence from controlling influences. lack of constraints. ability to decide for self what happens to your life. lack of coercion 2. agency - capacity for intentional action. autonomy meaningless if have nothing to choose from. actual plausible courses
What is the relativists critique of autonomy?
- autonomy is not NB to everyone. 2. value does not come from making voluntary choices but lies in content/implications of those choices. 3. determining the age when autonomous reasoning begins is impossible.
What is enhancement?
beyond health. interventions that improve human form or fxn beyond what is necessary to sustain or restore good health
What are the goals of enhancemetn?
- increase up to and above the norm 2. introduce improvements no human has yet achieved.
What are the concerns about enhancement?
- pursuit of perfection is vain and unrewarding 2. transgression of divine and natural laws 3. improving ourselves is unfair 4. enhancements destroy human nature 5. coerced by cultural standards and big pharma 6. paradoxical counter-productivity 7. misuse of resources.
