Discussion Post: Biomedical Ethics in the Christian Narrative
While I think that all the four principles of bioethics are critically important, I think it is a particular situation which determines which one of the four principles actually take precedence and needs to be considered. That is perhaps the biggest problem with principalism. It prevents the flexibility of thinking that might be needed in any given situation. However, under general circumstances, I would rate justice as the most important. Justice is important for a fair and distributive healthcare system. Following that, I would rate beneficence as the second-most important one. For me, because I am there to help people, the desire to help others should be of paramount importance. Respect for autonomy would be the third one, because it is always important to take into account what the patient wants. Finally, we have non-maleficence, which is the principle of not causing harm. While they are arranged in order, it is important to remember that each and every single one of these principles should be maintained as much as possible. There should be a discussion on which one trumps which one only when there are severe conflicts. In terms of the biblical narrative, I think the order would be slightly different. I think non-maleficence would be at the top of the group. It is because of Jesus' belief that we should never harm anyone. In general, it has been seen that maleficence actually is the most commonly utilized principle when it comes to conflicts (Page, 2012). The other three principles would be arranged in the order of beneficence, justice and autonomy. Christianity relies on the development of the community rather than an individual, so perhaps the desire for autonomy would not be as important through the Christian Biblical narrative compared to the general bioethics.
Task
The four principles, especially in the context of bioethics in the United States, has often been critiqued for raising the principle of autonomy to the highest place, such that it trumps all other principles or values. How would you rank the importance of each of the four principles? How do you believe they would be ordered in the context of the Christian biblical narrative? Refer to the topic study materials in your response.
The response should include a reference list. Using double-space, Times New Roman 12 pnt font, one-inch margins, and APA style of writing and citations.