Jove
Visualize
Contact Us
JoVE
x logofacebook logolinkedin logoyoutube logo
ABOUT JoVE
OverviewLeadershipBlogJoVE Help Center
AUTHORS
Publishing ProcessEditorial BoardScope & PoliciesPeer ReviewFAQSubmit
LIBRARIANS
TestimonialsSubscriptionsAccessResourcesLibrary Advisory BoardFAQ
RESEARCH
JoVE JournalMethods CollectionsJoVE Encyclopedia of ExperimentsArchive
EDUCATION
JoVE CoreJoVE BusinessJoVE Science EducationJoVE Lab ManualFaculty Resource CenterFaculty Site
Terms & Conditions of Use
Privacy Policy
Policies

Related Experiment Videos

Ignorance, information and autonomy.

J Harris1, K Keywood

  • 1University of Manchester, School of Law, UK. john.harris@man.ac.uk

Theoretical Medicine and Bioethics
|January 26, 2002
PubMed
Summary
This summary is machine-generated.

Related Concept Videos

You might also read

Related Articles

Articles linked to this work by shared authors, journal, and citation graph.

Sort by
Same author

Medication use in hospitalized nonagenarians.

Internal medicine journal·2002
Same author

Crete: does farming explain urban and rural differences in atopy?

Clinical and experimental allergy : journal of the British Society for Allergy and Clinical Immunology·2001
Same author

One principle and three fallacies of disability studies.

Journal of medical ethics·2001
Same author

RTOG 96-10: reirradiation with concurrent hydroxyurea and 5-fluorouracil in patients with squamous cell cancer of the head and neck.

International journal of radiation oncology, biology, physics·2001
Same author

Electrogastrographic norms in children: toward the development of standard methods, reproducible results, and reliable normative data.

Journal of pediatric gastroenterology and nutrition·2001
Same author

Use of molecular probes to assess geographic distribution of Pfiesteria species.

Environmental health perspectives·2001
Same journal

Flourishing within vulnerability: on human fragility and the conditions for a habitable environment.

Theoretical medicine and bioethics·2026
Same journal

Camouflaging in autism as a dual-normative construct: a philosophical critique.

Theoretical medicine and bioethics·2026
Same journal

The last low whispers revisited: a reply to Sulmasy on palliative sedation.

Theoretical medicine and bioethics·2026
Same journal

Epistemic justice and the moral status of the dead.

Theoretical medicine and bioethics·2026
Same journal

Practical wisdom in medicine: defending a multidimensional, integrated view of an indispensable virtue.

Theoretical medicine and bioethics·2026
Same journal

Do not harm: a minimal defense of conscientious objection in the medical profession.

Theoretical medicine and bioethics·2026
See all related articles

There is no inherent right to ignorance regarding personal genetic information. Claims for privacy must be balanced against the rights of others to honest communication and autonomy.

Area of Science:

  • Bioethics
  • Genetic Privacy
  • Information Rights

Background:

  • Public interest in genetic privacy and the desire to remain ignorant of potentially disturbing personal information is significant.
  • Existing legal and ethical frameworks grapple with balancing privacy rights against the disclosure of genetic information.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To critically examine the concept of a "right to ignorance" in the context of genetic information.
  • To evaluate competing claims regarding the disclosure versus withholding of personal genetic data.
  • To determine whether ethical principles, such as autonomy and free speech, support or oppose a right to ignorance.

Main Methods:

  • Philosophical and ethical analysis of rights claims.
  • Examination of legal principles, including the right to autonomy and free speech.
Keywords:
Analytical ApproachGenetics and ReproductionProfessional Patient Relationship

Related Experiment Videos

  • Comparative analysis of arguments for and against the right to ignorance.

    • Main Results:

    • The study argues against a prima facie "right to ignorance," asserting it is not an absolute entitlement.
    • Claims to be shielded from information must compete with the rights and interests of others.
    • Ethical principles like free speech and autonomy generally support the disclosure of truthful information over the maintenance of ignorance.

    Conclusions:

    • A right to ignorance is not ethically or legally defensible when it conflicts with the rights of others.
    • The principles of free speech and autonomy favor open communication of genetic information.
    • Balancing privacy with the need for informed consent and awareness supports providing information rather than withholding it.