Samenvatting

Summary of The Principles of Biomedical Ethics, Chapter 6: Beneficence by Beauchamp & Childress

7 keer verkocht

Vak
Choices & Dilemmas (GW309K)

Instelling
Erasmus Universiteit Rotterdam (EUR)

Boek
Principles of Biomedical Ethics

A summary of Chapter 6: Beneficence. Contains definitions as written in the book, often explicated/or debated in the summary or annotations. (There also is a summary containing this chapter + chapters 1/4/5/7)

[Meer zien]

Voorbeeld 2 van de 5 pagina's

Bekijk voorbeeld

Heel boek samengevat? Nee
Wat is er van het boek samengevat? Chapter 6
Geupload op 14 februari 2021
Aantal pagina's 5
Geschreven in 2020/2021
Type Samenvatting

beneficence
moral principles
principles of biomedical ethics

Volgen

maritbmg Lid sinds 5 jaar 134 documenten verkocht

€4,99

In winkelwagen

Op verlanglijstje

100% tevredenheidsgarantie
Direct beschikbaar na je betaling
Lees online óf als PDF
Geen vaste maandelijkse kosten

The Principles of Biomedical Ethics (8th edition)
annotations are not derived from the book

Chapter 6: Beneficence
Besides the principles of respect for autonomy and nonmaleficence, morality also requires that we
contribute to the welfare of others.; not solely refrain from harmful acts, but actively trying to help
others. There are (in this book) two principles to beneficence: positive beneficence & utility.

The concept of beneficence and principles of beneficence

Beneficence: “all norms, dispositions, and actions with the goal of benefiting or promoting the well-
being of other persons”

Benevolence: “the character trait, or virtue, of being disposed to act for the benefit of others”

Principle of beneficence: “a statement of a general moral obligation to act for the benefit of others”

- Positive beneficence: “requires agents to balance benefits, risks, and costs to produce the
best overall results”
o The common morality does not hold a principle of beneficence obligating
beneficence in every single instance (in cases of “severe sacrifice/extreme altruism”).
Thus we don’t always have to help, even though we are able to.
 Prima facie rules of obligation following the principle of positive beneficence 1
1. Protect and defend the rights of others
2. Prevent harm from occurring to others
3. Remove conditions that will cause harm to others
4. Help persons with disabilities
5. Rescue persons in danger
- Utility: “requires agents to balance benefits, risks, and costs to produce the best overall
results”
o in this chapter “utility” should not be looked at from the point of view of
utilitarianism; they view utility as “a fundamental, absolute principle of ethics”,
whereas we see it as one of multiple principles. Not sufficient on it’s own, but in
interaction with the others (autonomy, nonmaleficence, justice).

Distinguishing rules of beneficence from rules of nonmaleficence

beneficence Nonmaleficence
How to act in order to help How not to act, in order to prevent harm
Who you’re obligated to help depends on You are obligated to act in an nonmaleficent
personal relations. You’re less obligated if you way to all.
don’t have a (special) relation to someone –
unless the risks aren’t great.
Does not constitute legal prohibitions through Does constitute legal prohibitions through
moral reasons – no legal consequences when moral reasons – legal consequences when
someone does not abide to it someone does not abide to it

General and specific beneficence

1
Note that they seem somewhat similar to the ones named in chapter 5 “distinction between nonmaleficence
and beneficence”

, specific is directed at the relations you have with people, whereas general beneficence is directed
beyond those special relations.

- Obligations to others than the people you have special relations with seem impractical,
whereas it becomes a lot and it will be less likely we will meet our primary responsibilities.
 Peter Singer – “the obligation to assist”; if you, without having to sacrifice something of
comparable value, are able to do something. You are morally obliged to do it. – through this
criteria of comparable goods a limit has been set on sacrifice (however how do you
determine comparable?)
1. Singer acknowledges the overdemanding of his principle – the “Fair share” , he sees
it as a obligation, everyone should chip in in order to tackle problems.

The duty of rescue as obligatory beneficence

In this chapter the writers introduce conditions for if someone (X) has a prima facie obligation of
beneficence, from the perspective of a duty of rescue

1. “Y is at risk of significant loss of or damage to life, health, or some other basic interest”
2. “X’s action is necessary (singly or in concert with others) to precent this loss or damage”
3. “X’s action (singly or in concert with others) will probably prevent this loss or damage”
4. “X’s action would not present significant risks, costs or burdens to X”
5. “the benefit that Y can be expected to gain outweighs any harms, costs, or burdens that X is
likely to occur”

A reciprocity-based justification of obligations of beneficence

Reciprocity: “the act or practice of making an appropriate, often proportional, return”

Following David Hume, an obligation to benefit others is the product of social interaction. I interact
with people, and receive the benefits of that interaction (of society). Thus I ought to promote the
interests of those interaction/that interaction.

Paternalism: conflicts between beneficence and respect for autonomy

In health care doctors used to act out of their own beliefs about what a patient needed
(information/treatment). Over the years however claims arose on the rights of patients (autonomy
rights).

The writers of this book define paternalism as: “the intentional overriding of one person’s
preferences or action by another person, where the person who overrides justifies the action by
appeal to the goal of benefiting or of preventing or mitigating harm to the person whose preferences
or actions are overridden” – note that this doesn’t exclude autonomous people, meaning someone
justifies overriding an autonomous decision and justifies it by the principles of beneficence and
nonmaleficence.2

 “discussions of medical paternalism focus on how to specify or balance these principles,
which principle to follow under which conditions, and how to intervene in the decisions and
affairs of such patients when intervention is warranted”

Soft and hard paternalism

2
The principles nicely come together in the case of paternalism; through the argument of beneficence and
nonmaleficence, the principle of autonomy is overridden.

Dit zijn jouw voordelen als je samenvattingen koopt bij Stuvia:

Bewezen kwaliteit door reviews

Studenten hebben al meer dan 850.000 samenvattingen beoordeeld. Zo weet jij zeker dat je de beste keuze maakt!

In een paar klikken geregeld

Geen gedoe — betaal gewoon eenmalig met iDeal, creditcard of je Stuvia-tegoed en je bent klaar. Geen abonnement nodig.

Direct to-the-point

Studenten maken samenvattingen voor studenten. Dat betekent: actuele inhoud waar jij écht wat aan hebt. Geen overbodige details!

Veelgestelde vragen

Wat krijg ik als ik dit document koop?

Je krijgt een PDF, die direct beschikbaar is na je aankoop. Het gekochte document is altijd, overal en oneindig toegankelijk via je profiel.

Tevredenheidsgarantie: hoe werkt dat?

Onze tevredenheidsgarantie zorgt ervoor dat je altijd een studiedocument vindt dat goed bij je past. Je vult een formulier in en onze klantenservice regelt de rest.

Van wie koop ik deze samenvatting?

Stuvia is een marktplaats, je koop dit document dus niet van ons, maar van verkoper maritbmg. Stuvia faciliteert de betaling aan de verkoper.

Zit ik meteen vast aan een abonnement?

Nee, je koopt alleen deze samenvatting voor €4,99. Je zit daarna nergens aan vast.

Is Stuvia te vertrouwen?

4,6 sterren op Google & Trustpilot (+1000 reviews)

Afgelopen 30 dagen zijn er 68175 samenvattingen verkocht

Opgericht in 2010, al 15 jaar dé plek om samenvattingen te kopen

Begin nu gratis

Samenvatting

Summary of The Principles of Biomedical Ethics, Chapter 6: Beneficence by Beauchamp & Childress

Document informatie

Onderwerpen

Gekoppeld boek

Meer samenvattingen voor studieboek

Geschreven voor

Verkoper

Ontvangen beoordelingen

Voorbeeld van de inhoud