RT Journal Article
SR Electronic
T1 When four principles are too many: a commentary
JF Journal of Medical Ethics
JO J Med Ethics
FD BMJ Publishing Group Ltd and Institute of Medical Ethics
SP 197
OP 198
DO 10.1136/medethics-2011-100385
VO 38
IS 4
A1 Raanan Gillon
YR 2012
UL http://jme.bmj.com/content/38/4/197.abstract
AB This commentary briefly argues that the four prima facie principles of beneficence, non-maleficence, respect for autonomy and justice enable a clinician (and anybody else) to make ethical sense of the author's proposed reliance on professional guidance and rules, on law, on professional integrity and on best interests, and to subject them all to ethical analysis and criticism based on widely acceptable basic prima facie moral obligations; and also to confront new situations in the light of those acceptable principles.