The Need for Authenticity-Based Autonomy in Medical Ethics (2017)

The notion of respect for autonomy dominates bioethical discussions, although what exactly qualifies as an autonomous action is often elusive. In recent decades, the concept of autonomy in medical contexts has often been defined in opposition to the notion of autonomy favoured by theoretical philosophers. Where many contemporary theoretical accounts of autonomy emphasise the condition of 'authenticity'; the particular relationship that desire must have with oneself, bioethicists often regard such a viewpoint as irrelevant to issues of medical ethics and too rigorous to be applied in a practical context. This article argues, however, that the very condition of authenticity on which theoretical philosophy focuses is also relevant to autonomy and competence in medical ethics.