Abstract
In this paper I will examine whether the construction of a just system of health care is impeded or assisted by a Hippocratic tradition, the duty of beneficence. It will be argued that it is an important part of a just system of health care that seeks empathy, and equity as well as impartiality. In the first section the charges that the duty of beneficence promotes unwarranted partiality and paternalism are examined. It is found that this tradition understood as a prima facie or imperfect duty of beneficence, neither entails nor fosters unwarranted paternalism and that this moral duty may be important to a just system. Partiality, for example, when it results in empathetic care, may be defensible in a just system. In the second section the reason why this kind of duty may be important in a just system is explored. Providing care for individuals, rather than thinking of what faceless members of some group need, encourages personal regard and discretion.
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Kopelman, L. (1985). Justice and the Hippocratic Tradition of Acting for the Good of the Sick. In: Moskop, J.C., Kopelman, L. (eds) Ethics and Critical Care Medicine. Philosophy and Medicine, vol 19. Springer, Dordrecht. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-94-009-5233-1_7
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-94-009-5233-1_7
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