Philosophy Ethics and Humanities in Medicine最新文献

The question of what it means to be human remains one of the most fundamental inquiries in philosophy, with profound ethical implications, particularly in healthcare. This paper offers a conceptual framework for healthcare professionals by exploring the ontological status of the human being and the concept of personhood, grounded in classical metaphysical principles. Through a phenomenological, epistemological, axiological, and ontological lens, it proposes a unified understanding of human dignity that can inform and elevate clinical practice. While the dialogue between Greek philosophy and the Judeo-Christian tradition established a robust and enduring notion of dignity, and Kantian ethics reinforced the centrality of the human being as an end in itself, the increasing compartmentalization of knowledge-though fruitful in some respects-has obscured the integral vision of the human person. In the medical field, this fragmentation can diminish awareness of the relational, existential, and spiritual dimensions essential to humane care. In response, this paper reaffirms the relevance of philosophical anthropology for medical ethics. It contends that safeguarding human dignity amid contemporary scientific and technological challenges requires returning to an ontological vision of the person-one that transcends functionalist and reductionist models and restores the human being to the center of healthcare. By doing so, it offers professionals a deeper foundation for ethical discernment and compassionate practice.

Intimate Partner Violence (IPV) remains a pervasive and distressing societal issue with far-reaching physical, emotional, and psychological consequences. This paper delves into the complex dynamics of IPV, aiming to enhance the comprehension of its root causes, contributing factors, and various manifestations. By synthesizing multidisciplinary research, it highlights the role of societal norms, cultural influences, and individual psychological traits in perpetuating such violence. Moreover, the paper elucidates the impact of IPV on survivors, children, families, and communities, emphasizing the urgent need for comprehensive intervention strategies. Drawing upon psychological, sociological, and criminological perspectives, the outlines existing theoretical frameworks that seek to explain the underlying mechanisms of IPV. It explores the cyclical nature of violence, power and control dynamics, as well as the intersectionality of factors such as gender, socioeconomic status, and race. By examining the various forms of IPV, including physical, emotional, sexual, and financial abuse, the paper underscores the importance of recognizing the subtler, non-physical forms of violence. In addressing IPV, evaluate the effectiveness of prevention and intervention programs across different contexts. It emphasizes the significance of early education, awareness campaigns, and policy initiatives in reshaping societal attitudes and dismantling cycles of violence. Additionally, the paper examines support systems for survivors, from crisis intervention and shelters to counseling and legal assistance, while considering the unique needs of marginalized and vulnerable populations.Ultimately, this paper underscores the urgent necessity for a holistic and collaborative approach to eradicating IPV. By understanding its intricate underpinnings and consequences, society can work collectively to challenge ingrained norms, promote healthy relationships, and provide survivors with the resources they need to rebuild their lives. Through a comprehensive exploration of IPV, this paper contributes to the ongoing discourse surrounding this critical issue and advocates for a future free from the shackles of intimate partner violence.

People who have experienced traumatic events often suffer from the burden of painful memories. Recent advances in neuropharmaceuticals and neurotechnologies have enabled the modification and even erasure of traumatic memories, raising both therapeutic hopes and ethical concerns. One view argues that individuals have a moral obligation to preserve traumatic memories; therefore, erasing such memories amounts to an evasion of moral obligations and is therefore unacceptable. However, neither deontological ethics nor rule consequentialism can justify the claim that patients have an obligation to preserve their traumatic memories. In fact, memory erasure, as a transformative experience, situates individuals within a context of decision-making under uncertainty, thereby highlighting their moral obligations to themselves. Trauma survivors may seek memory erasure technologies as a way of honoring their moral obligations to their past, present, and future selves. In this sense, such interventions may be regarded as morally permissible.

The advent of colonialism in Assam was followed with its putative benefits - print and western biomedicine being the major subjects in this article. That is not to say that there was no "literacy awareness," (Stark 13) reading practice, or indigenous medical practices before colonial powers set their feet in Assam, or that these were completely abandoned due to colonialism. In fact, colonialism and indigenous practices existed simultaneously. This paper looks at the intersectionality of gender, medicine and print in colonial Assam with reference to 'masculine' writings available in print. The focus is on onerous (and equally ambivalent) theories with regard to women's bodies, the consequent misreadings regarding their health and prescriptions for health and hygiene, as well as an insistence on the necessity of care towards women in a few of these writings. With the introduction of western biomedical practices and subsequent funds and scholarships, inequities in healthcare were visible and detectable. The paper analyses the literature of the time as alternative strategies to deal with women's health, given that healthcare facilities were not available to a large section of the population which sanctioned the popularity of manuals, primers, and essays catering to the subject of women's health. With specific sections devoted to the intersectionality of colonialism with gender, medical culture, and print, these texts are analysed in the light of perspectives ranging from medical misogyny to literary merit.

Background: In the highly technical and time-pressured environment of the operating room (OR), patients may risk becoming physically present yet experientially absent and ontologically overlooked. "Experiential absence" refers to the loss of the patient's subjectivity when their voice and awareness are silenced under anesthesia, while "ontological absence" refers to the erosion of their recognition as a person of inherent moral worth. Drapes, protocols, and clinical shorthand can unintentionally reinforce this absence. While such detachment supports surgical focus, it raises pressing ethical questions.

Methods: This paper undertakes a philosophical reflection drawing on René Descartes' Meditations and Carl Rogers' humanistic psychology. Primary texts from both authors are engaged to examine how Cartesian dualism has shaped depersonalizing tendencies in biomedicine, and how Rogers' principles of empathy, authenticity, and unconditional positive regard can reframe ethical care in surgery.

Results: Three interrelated dimensions are identified. First, the paper distinguishes between necessary clinical objectivity and harmful detachment, arguing that the latter undermines ethical regard. Second, it reconceptualizes the anesthetized patient as morally present despite unconsciousness, emphasizing that vulnerability under anesthesia heightens the ethical duty of care. Third, it reframes the surgical team as a therapeutic environment, where interpersonal respect and psychological safety influence how patient dignity is upheld.

Conclusions: Integrating Rogers' philosophy into the OR does not compromise technical precision but deepens it with moral clarity. By recognizing both the experiential silence and the ontological presence of the anesthetized patient, surgical teams can align technical excellence with ethical responsibility. This perspective expands patient-centered care into a more robust person-centered ethic, positioning surgery not only as a technical intervention but also as a profoundly moral encounter.

Genetic data, which contains human life codes, is the most fundamental privacy of individuals and is therefore protected by the right to privacy. However, given the diverse subjects involved in genetic data, traditional individualistic privacy regulations face challenges in practise, posing a global dilemma on effective gene privacy protection. Over the past three decades, China has seen rapid development in the concepts of privacy and gene privacy. Genetic data is inherently classified as private data, entitled to protection under CCC and CPIPL. China adopts an informed consent model rooted in individualism for gene privacy protection, yet faces triple dilemmas in practice, including inadequate protection for individuals, insufficient safeguards for societal interests, and benefit-sharing imbalances. Going forward, China should first shift its governance philosophy from individualism to group dimension; second, further restrict individuals' self-determination over genetic data; and finally, give full play to its existing organizational structure, public interest litigation system, and the role of groups in safeguarding benefit-sharing.

Medical expertise is traditionally understood through two main epistemic perspectives: propositional-cognitive knowledge, which emphasizes scientific and theoretical understanding, and practical-experiential knowledge, which is rooted in experience and tacit skills. Existing models often focus on one of these dimensions, failing to capture the full complexity of medical expertise. This study proposes a hybrid expertise (HE) framework that integrates both forms of knowledge, offering a more comprehensive characterization of how expertise is acquired and applied in medical practice. This study employs a theoretical-analytical approach, drawing from established distinctions in epistemology, such as know-how vs. know-that, tacit vs. explicit knowledge, and declarative vs. procedural knowledge. This perspective aligns with related concepts such as adaptive expertise (AE) and interdisciplinary expertise (IE). Additionally, we challenge the assumption that all medical students can become experts with proper training, arguing that expertise requires exceptional performance beyond mere competence. This perspective has important implications for medical education, emphasizing the need for curricula that balance theoretical instruction with experiential learning. These insights contribute to a more nuanced understanding of expertise, with potential applications in medical training, policy-making, and healthcare practice.