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Criticism and Communitarian Reinterpretation of Beauchamp and Childress’ Four Principles

  • Journal of the Korea Bioethics Association
  • 2016, 17(2), pp.17-36
  • Publisher : The Korean Bioethics Association
  • Research Area : Interdisciplinary Studies > Interdisciplinary Research

Sujung Yoo 1

1이화여자대학교 생명의료법연구소

Accredited

ABSTRACT

In this paper, it is said that one of the reasons for the proliferation of liberal individualism in the theoretical aspect of bioethics is the influence of the 『Principles of Biomedical Ethics』 co‐authored by Tom L. Beauchamp and James F. Childress in 1979. In the book, Beauchamp and Childress presented the principles of respect for autonomy, nonmaleficence, beneficence, and justice, and these four principles have become important principles of bioethics. However, I consider these four principles to be "principles of liberal individualism" in that both the definitions and the categories of discussion on the main concepts of the four principles are narrowly confined to individuals. And I point out the issues that the main concept definition of and the category of discussion of the four principles of Beauchamp and Childress are narrowly tailored to the individuals, which not only reduce many bioethical problems to the problem of individual choice but also easily overlook the importance of social influence or common good. I should say that the definition of and the category of discussion on the main concepts of four principles of Beauchamp and Childress need to be reinterpreted as a communitarian view that includes society beyond the individual in order for the four principles of Beauchamp and Childress to serve as a practical guideline for the complex bioethical issues raised in concrete and realistic lives

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