This article emphasises that autonomy is a central value in Western medicine and medical ethics, but what role medicine should give to patient autonomy seems somewhat unclear. It is plausible that autonomous people are often in the best position to determine what would be good or bad for them and, as a consequence, it can be argued that there is good reason to consider patient autonomy as an instrumental value in medicine. But in addition to placing an instrumental value on patient autonomy, some bioethicists argue that autonomy is so important that there are cases where patients should be allowed to make their own choices about their treatment, even if it is clear to all involved that others will be involved. Some of these philosophers maintain that patient autonomy can be limited if there is a threat of very serious harm to the patient's wellbeing.
The value of autonomy in medical ethics (2006)
19 December 2022