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Respect for Autonomy and Its Emotional Aspects in Cases of Akrasia: Tappolet’s Care-based Account of Autonomy

Cho Sunwoo 1

1이화여자대학교 생명윤리법연구소

Accredited

ABSTRACT

Over the last few decades ‘respect for autonomy’ has emerged as one of the most important ethical principles governing modern medicine. This is due at least in part to the influence of Beauchamp and Childress’s Principles of Biomedical Ethics. However, there seem to be two major problems with this principle of respect for autonomy: one is that it has become something of a dogma; the other is that the concept of autonomy is unclear. In many areas of life, including that of medical care, it is difficult to discern which agents are truly autonomous, which decisions (or acts) are truly autonomous and, accordingly, which of these are to be respected. It seems that a better understanding of autonomy is very much needed. This article responds to that need by providing a careful examination of both rationalist and care-based conceptions of autonomy. It argues that rationalist conceptions of autonomy cannot account for cases of akrasia, and that care-based conceptions of autonomy help to illuminate the intimate relationship between autonomy and the emotions.

Citation status

* References for papers published after 2023 are currently being built.

This paper was written with support from the National Research Foundation of Korea.