TY - JOUR T1 - Against the magnanimous in medical ethics. JF - Journal of Medical Ethics JO - J Med Ethics SP - 124 LP - 128 DO - 10.1136/jme.16.3.124 VL - 16 IS - 3 AU - M H Kottow Y1 - 1990/09/01 UR - http://jme.bmj.com/content/16/3/124.abstract N2 - Supererogatory acts are considered by some to be part of medicine, whereas others accept supererogation to be a gratuitous virtue, to be extolled when present, but not to be demanded. The present paper sides with those contending that medicine is duty-bound to benefit patients and that supererogation/altruism must per definition remain outside and beyond any role-description of the profession. Medical ethics should be bound by rational ethics and steer away from separatist views which grant exclusive privileges but also create excessive demands, way beyond what physicians perform or are willing and able to offer. ER -