The Principle Of Respect For Autonomy

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Principles of Bioethics There are four commonly accepted principles of bioethics. The first is the principle of respect for autonomy. Respect for autonomy is a respect for the client to make informed and intentional decisions, provided that the client is judged to be capable of doing so. This principle is the base for the practice of informed consent as well as the right to accept or refuse treatment. The client is to be able to make a rational, informed decision, without any external factors influencing any decisions. This principle may cause what the health care professional perceives to be harm, but to the client, like a muslim client refusing to have a xenotransplantation from a pig, accepting the treatment would cause him to suffer…show more content…
However, in practice, this is quite difficult to achieve. When there is a shortage of goods or availability of services, who should receive them, or who should be cared for. The main equalizing factor of Medicare, is that individuals must be at least 65 years of age; however, this is the only factor of equality of the program. Chapter 4 of Helping and Healing The principle of vulnerability is focused on treating and helping those who have disadvantages, or considered vulnerable. Unfortunately, this is not a universal thought, nor are the qualifications of being vulnerable the same for all. This principle is used in order to protect and not take advantage of the disadvantaged individuals. This principle is one of the reasons why one may observe societies take extra care of children or the elderly. The principle is borne from a respect of all peoples and a combination of the four core principles of bioethics, except for the principle of justice. Pellegrino and Thomasma explain that a secularly defined justice cannot encompass this principle (Pellegrino and Thomasma, 56). This is because, even though American culture and society had a foundation of religious views and beliefs, that base is fading, as is any unification of the morals of individuals. Those with the secular view, see the vulnerable as unfortunate, but do not see the situation as unjust; those people would believe that because they had nothing to do with the unfortunate events of the
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