Remember Evil: Remaining Assumptions In Autonomy-based Accounts Of Conscience Protection

Area of Science:

• Medical Ethics
• Philosophy of Medicine
• Professional Autonomy

Background:

• Discussions on conscience and practitioner judgment in medicine are increasing due to potential risks like patient abandonment and malpractice.
• Concerns arise amid societal polarization, impacting professions historically seeking protected spaces.

Purpose of the Study:

• To address the justification of conscience protection rooted in autonomy.
• To respond to Greenblum and Kasperbaur's (2018) argument and clarify a prior critique (2016).

Main Methods:

• Recap of the central contention of an autonomy-based conscience protection argument.
• Analysis of Greenblum and Kasperbaur's interpretation of autonomy and the critique.
• Correction of misinterpretations regarding the author's work and autonomy-based defenses.

Main Results:

• Identifies and corrects a misinterpretation of the author's critique of autonomy-based conscience protection.
• Clarifies the application of autonomy principles in justifying medical conscience protections.
• Highlights potential flaws in Greenblum and Kasperbaur's defense and interpretation.

Conclusions:

• Autonomy-based justifications for medical conscience protection require careful articulation to avoid misinterpretation.
• The paper contributes to the ongoing debate on balancing practitioner conscience with patient welfare and professional integrity.
• Accurate interpretation of philosophical arguments is crucial for advancing ethical discussions in medicine.