The future of the medical profession between bioethics and the market: a final comment

For a variety of historical and professional reasons the field of bioethics has paid little attention to the market. It has tended to treat the market with suspicion or hostility. Now, however, the market must be taken seriously. It has become a world-wide force in health care, and there is every reason to believe it will remain strong in the future. For that reason, it is wise to see what can be taken from the market, rather than simply dismiss it altogether. The market has various aspects: a theory of human nature, a view of human behavior, and an ideological aspect, with proponents stressing the necessary connection between political and market freedom. This article argues that only its view of human behavior should be accepted, particularly the possibility of using incentives, positive and negative, to change behavior. That can be helpful in health care, whereas the market's view of human nature should be rejected.