Search research articles

ABOUT JoVE

Overview Leadership Blog JoVE Help Center

AUTHORS

Publishing Process Editorial Board Scope & Policies Peer Review FAQ Submit

LIBRARIANS

Testimonials Subscriptions Access Resources Library Advisory Board FAQ

RESEARCH

JoVE Journal Methods Collections JoVE Encyclopedia of Experiments Archive

EDUCATION

JoVE Core JoVE Business JoVE Science Education JoVE Lab Manual Faculty Resource Center Faculty Site

Terms & Conditions of Use

Related Concept Videos

Ethical Dilemmas I

Ethical Dilemmas I

Ethical dilemmas in nursing are of utmost importance, as they often arise from the tension between adhering to core ethical principles and the practical realities of healthcare delivery. These dilemmas require nurses to navigate complex situations where competing ethical considerations pull them in different directions.
Let us explore some examples to understand the potentially complex moral decisions nurses face.
Take the case of caring for minors, particularly in areas related to reproductive...

Ethics and Bioethics

Ethics and Bioethics

Ethics is a philosophical study of moral actions. Ethics attempts to determine what is valuable for individuals and society. It examines the rational justification of moral judgments and analyzes what is morally just, fair, and right. Bioethics is a sub-discipline of applied ethics that analyzes the philosophical, social, and legal issues in life sciences and medicine. Ethical theories serve as a foundation for decision-making and represent the viewpoints from which people seek direction. They...

Humanistic Psychology

Humanistic Psychology

Humanistic psychology emerged in the mid-20th century as a response to the deterministic and pessimistic nature of behaviorism and psychoanalysis. While behaviorism focused on observable behaviors influenced by the environment and psychoanalysis delved into unconscious motivations, both theories suggested that human actions lacked free will. In contrast, humanistic psychology offers a perspective that emphasizes the innate potential for goodness and growth within every individual.
This approach...

Nursing Ethical Principles II

Nursing Ethical Principles II

Ethical principles are essential in guiding nurses to fulfill their responsibilities, focusing on the quality of nursing care and decision-making. These principles, including autonomy, beneficence, non-maleficence, justice, and fidelity, shape the ethical framework within healthcare settings.
Consider the following scenario, which illustrates how these principles are applied in the care of Mr. John, a fifty-year-old teacher diagnosed with metastatic liver cancer.
Initially, Mr. John's cancer...

Functionalism

Functionalism

William James, John Dewey, and Charles Sanders Peirce were instrumental in founding functional psychology, which draws heavily from Darwin's theory of evolution by natural selection. This theory suggests that individual traits, including behaviors, are adapted to their environments through natural selection. At the heart of functionalism is the concept of adaptation, meaning that a trait enhances an individual's chances of survival and reproduction.
James envisioned psychology's role as...

Ethical Issues

Ethical Issues

Nurses are essential in patient care, upholding the ethical principles of their profession and effectively navigating ethical dilemmas. Neglecting ethical issues can lead to inadequate patient care, compromised therapeutic relationships, and moral distress among healthcare workers.
Ethical Concerns in Healthcare:

You might also read

Related Articles

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

Sort by

Same author

What Should Be Discussed When Considering a Vaginal Birth? A Delphi Consensus Study.

BJOG : an international journal of obstetrics and gynaecology·2025

Same author

Women's perspectives of decision-making for labour and birth: a qualitative antenatal-postnatal paired interview study.

BMJ open·2025

Same author

Maternity healthcare professionals' experiences of supporting women in decision-making for labour and birth: a qualitative study.

BMJ open·2024

Same author

Vaginal birth core information set: study protocol for a Delphi study to achieve a consensus on a 'core information set' for vaginal birth.

BMJ open·2023

Same author

Effective Communication Following Pregnancy Loss: A Study in England.

Cambridge quarterly of healthcare ethics : CQ : the international journal of healthcare ethics committees·2020

Same author

Prevention of Transnational Transplant-Related Crimes-What More Can be Done?

Transplantation·2015

Same journal

The Ulysses Framework: A Navigational Approach to Complexity in Forensic Psychiatric Practice.

Health care analysis : HCA : journal of health philosophy and policy·2026

Same journal

Access, Equity and Ethical Challenges in Assisted Reproductive Technologies in India: An Empirical Bioethics Analysis.

Health care analysis : HCA : journal of health philosophy and policy·2026

Same journal

From Static Risk Estimates to Dynamic Clinical Trajectories: A Conceptual Analysis of Perioperative Medicine.

Health care analysis : HCA : journal of health philosophy and policy·2026

Same journal

Access to Cancer Medicines in Türkiye Through Legal Avenues: An Analysis from the Perspective of Medical Ethics.

Health care analysis : HCA : journal of health philosophy and policy·2026

Same journal

Holostasis: Health as Personal Orientation in an Anthropological Framework.

Health care analysis : HCA : journal of health philosophy and policy·2026

Same journal

Evidence-Based Planning of High-Complexity Healthcare Networks at National Level: Integrating Mortality Records, Accessibility Metrics, and Facility Location Optimization Models.

Health care analysis : HCA : journal of health philosophy and policy·2026

See all related articles

Search research articles

Related Experiment Video

Updated: Jul 3, 2026

Task Interruption and Resumption Paradigm for Testing the Activation and Pursuit of an Abstract Thinking Goal

Task Interruption and Resumption Paradigm for Testing the Activation and Pursuit of an Abstract Thinking Goal

Published on: April 18, 2017

Best interests and pragmatism.

Sheelagh McGuinness¹

¹Institute for Science, Ethics and Innovation, Centre for Social Ethics and Policy, School of Law, University of Manchester, Williamson Building, Oxford Road, Manchester M20 4LZ, UK. sheelagh.mcguinness@manchester.ac.uk

Health Care Analysis : HCA : Journal of Health Philosophy and Policy

|August 6, 2008

Summary

This summary is machine-generated.

The principle of "best interests" aligns well with legal pragmatism, contrary to some scholarly views. This article explores how "best interests" embodies pragmatic adjudication ideals, particularly in medical law.

More Related Videos

A Novel Method for Involving Women of Color at High Risk for Preterm Birth in Research Priority Setting

A Novel Method for Involving Women of Color at High Risk for Preterm Birth in Research Priority Setting

Published on: January 12, 2018

Related Experiment Videos

Last Updated: Jul 3, 2026

Task Interruption and Resumption Paradigm for Testing the Activation and Pursuit of an Abstract Thinking Goal

Task Interruption and Resumption Paradigm for Testing the Activation and Pursuit of an Abstract Thinking Goal

Published on: April 18, 2017

A Novel Method for Involving Women of Color at High Risk for Preterm Birth in Research Priority Setting

A Novel Method for Involving Women of Color at High Risk for Preterm Birth in Research Priority Setting

Published on: January 12, 2018

Area of Science:

Legal Philosophy
Medical Law
Jurisprudence

Background:

The concept of 'best interests' is central to legal and medical decision-making.
Theories of judicial and legal pragmatism offer alternative frameworks for adjudication.
Scholarly debate exists regarding the compatibility of 'best interests' with pragmatism.

Purpose of the Study:

To demonstrate the compatibility of the 'best interests' principle with pragmatism.
To critique the rejection of 'best interests' in favor of pure pragmatism.
To examine the role and limitations of rational decision-makers in medical law.

Main Methods:

Conceptual analysis of 'best interests' and legal pragmatism.
Review of existing literature on judicial and legal pragmatism.
Examination of the application of 'best interests' in medical law.

Main Results:

The 'best interests' principle is presented as an embodiment of pragmatic adjudication ideals.
The rejection of 'best interests' in favor of pragmatism by Holm and Edgar is argued to be misplaced.
The role of the rational decision-maker in medical law is found to be limited.

Conclusions:

The 'best interests' principle and pragmatism are compatible and mutually reinforcing.
'Best interests' serves as a practical embodiment of pragmatic legal philosophy.
A nuanced understanding of the relationship between 'best interests' and pragmatism is essential for legal and medical contexts.