The Hippocratic Oath, Medical Power, and Physician Virtue
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The Hippocratic Oath, Medical Power, and Physician Virtue Michael Potts 1 Received: 4 September 2020 / Revised: 4 September 2020 / Accepted: 11 September 2020 # Springer Nature B.V. 2020
Abstract In this paper, I supplement T. A. Cavanaugh’s arguments against physician-assisted suicide in his book, Hippocrates’ Oath and Asclepius’ Snake, by focusing more specifically on the dangers of the misuse of physician power and on the virtues essential to restrain such power. Since Cavanaugh’s starting point is similar to Edmund Pellegrino’s views on the fundamental ends of medicine, I start with the question of the proper ends of medicine. Cavanaugh’s interpretation of the Hippocratic Oath as the limitation of physician power to heal and to kill raises the issue of the proper use of physician power over the patient. In order to support and strengthen Cavanaugh’s case, I use Richard Zaner’s discussion of physician power over the patient and the attendant duty to use such power in a responsible way. Finally, I supplement Cavanaugh’s discussion with a fuller account of physician virtues as they relate to physicianassisted suicide. I first discuss the ends of medicine, medical power, and physicianassisted suicide. Second, I discuss the relationship between virtue and physicianassisted suicide. Third, I draw some final conclusions. Keywords Physician-assisted suicide . Hippocratic oath . Medical power . Virtue ethics
T. A. Cavanaugh does an excellent job in arguing that the Hippocratic Oath’s prohibition of physician assisted suicide (PAS) is due to such a practice violating the fundament ends of medicine. In this paper, I wish to supplement Cavanaugh’s arguments by focusing more specifically on the dangers of the misuse of physician power and on the virtues essential to restrain such power. Cavanaugh’s starting point is similar to Edmund Pellegrino’s views on the fundamental ends of medicine, so I will begin with the question of the proper ends of medicine. Cavanaugh’s interpretation of the
* Michael Potts [email protected]
1
Philosophy and Religion, Methodist University, 5400 Ramsey Street, Fayetteville, NC 28311-1498, USA
Philosophia
Hippocratic Oath as the limitation of physician power to heal and to kill raises the issue of the proper use of physician power over the patient. Richard Zaner has a powerful account of the physician’s great power over the patient and the attendant duty to use such power in a responsible way. This can be used to support and strengthen Cavanaugh’s case. (This is not to claim that Zaner would agree with my opposition to PAS; rather, my argument is that his understanding of power dynamics and ethics in medicine can be used to strengthen the case against PAS). Finally, Cavanaugh’s fine discussion can be supplemented by a fuller account of physician virtues as they relate to physician assisted suicide. There are three sections to this paper: (1) the ends of medicine, medical power, and physician-assisted suicide, (2) virtue and physician assisted suicide, and (3) concluding comments.
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