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Conscience Dissenters and Disagreement: Professions are Only as Good as Their Practitioners
1School of Health and Medical Sciences, Seton Hall University, Nutley, NJ, 07110, USA. bryan.pilkington@shu.edu.
Summary
Conscience protection in medicine should be defended, not abandoned. This paper argues that common objections to conscience protection in healthcare are based on flawed assumptions about professional disagreement and adjudication.
Area of Science:
- Medical Ethics
- Philosophy of Medicine
Background:
- The role of conscience in medical practice is a contentious issue.
- Arguments against conscience protection often question its coherence and reasonableness.
Purpose of the Study:
- To analyze the assumptions underlying arguments against conscience protection in medicine.
- To defend the continued relevance and necessity of conscience protection in healthcare.
Main Methods:
- Critical analysis of the concept of professional disagreement within medicine.
- Examination of the assumptions made by "conscience dissenters" regarding medical professions and dispute resolution.
Main Results:
- The assumptions of conscience dissenters regarding professional disagreement are significantly flawed.
- These flaws undermine the basis for abandoning conscience protection.
Conclusions:
- Conscience protection in medicine is a valid and necessary consideration.
- The debate surrounding conscience protection in healthcare must continue, informed by a clearer understanding of professional dynamics.
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