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Medical humanism: pragmatic or personalist?
Health Progress (Saint Louis, Mo.)
|March 11, 1985
Summary
Personalist humanism affirms inherent human dignity, contrasting with pragmatic views that link value to function. This approach guides healthcare providers to value all patients, regardless of productivity, upholding ethical patient care.
Area of Science:
- Bioethics
- Medical Philosophy
- Healthcare Ethics
Background:
- Healthcare professionals face complex ethical decisions regarding patient dignity and value.
- Humanism offers a framework for these decisions, but differing interpretations exist.
Purpose of the Study:
- To differentiate between pragmatic and personalist humanism in healthcare ethics.
- To advocate for a personalist approach to uphold inherent human dignity.
Main Methods:
- Philosophical analysis of humanism's application in healthcare.
- Comparative examination of pragmatic vs. personalist ethical frameworks.
Main Results:
- Pragmatic humanism bases dignity on functioning and societal granting, risking manipulation.
- Personalist humanism grounds dignity in the state of 'being human,' irrespective of function.
Conclusions:
- Personalist humanism mandates care for all patients, even non-productive ones.
- Upholding inherent human value is crucial to prevent dignity from being contingent on social utility.