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Relational autonomy: lessons from COVID-19 and twentieth-century philosophy.
Gómez-Vírseda, Carlos; Usanos, Rafael Amo.
  • Gómez-Vírseda C; Centre for Biomedical Ethics and Law, KU Leuven, Kapucijnenvoer 35/3, 3000, Louvain, Belgium. carlos.gomezvirseda@kuleuven.be.
  • Usanos RA; Bioethics Chair at the Universidad Pontificia Comillas, C/Universidad Comillas, 3, 28049, Madrid, Spain.
Med Health Care Philos ; 24(4): 493-505, 2021 Dec.
Article in English | MEDLINE | ID: covidwho-1281315
ABSTRACT
COVID-19 has turned many ethical principles and presuppositions upside down. More precisely, the principle of respect for autonomy has been shown to be ill suited to face the ethical challenges posed by the current health crisis. Individual wishes and choices have been subordinated to public interests. Patients have received trial therapies under extraordinary procedures of informed consent. The principle of respect for autonomy, at least in its mainstream interpretation, has been particularly questioned during this pandemic. Further reflection on the nature and value of autonomy is urgently needed. Relational autonomy has been proposed as an alternative account of autonomy that can more adequately respond to contemporary ethical issues in general and to a pandemic such as the one we are currently facing in particular. As relational autonomy is an emerging notion in current bioethics, it requires further consideration and development to be properly operationalized. This paper aims to show how six different philosophical branches--namely, philosophy of nature, philosophical anthropology, existential phenomenology, discourse ethics, hermeneutics, and cultural anthropology--have incorporated the category of relation throughout the twentieth century. We first delve into primary philosophical sources and then apply their insights to the specific field of medical ethics. Learning from the historical developments of other philosophical fields may provide illumination that will enable bioethics to experience a successful "relational turn", which has been partially initiated in contemporary bioethics but not yet achieved.
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Full text: Available Collection: International databases Database: MEDLINE Main subject: Bioethics / COVID-19 Type of study: Qualitative research / Randomized controlled trials Limits: Humans Language: English Journal: Med Health Care Philos Journal subject: Ethics Year: 2021 Document Type: Article Affiliation country: S11019-021-10035-2

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Full text: Available Collection: International databases Database: MEDLINE Main subject: Bioethics / COVID-19 Type of study: Qualitative research / Randomized controlled trials Limits: Humans Language: English Journal: Med Health Care Philos Journal subject: Ethics Year: 2021 Document Type: Article Affiliation country: S11019-021-10035-2