Annals of the Japanese Association for Philosophical and Ethical Researches in Medicine
Online ISSN : 2433-1821
Print ISSN : 0289-6427
Patients' Self-determination and Medical Staff's Discretion : The Restraint on a Tendency to Regard the Human Body as an Object
Toyotaka SHIGENO
Author information
JOURNAL FREE ACCESS

1999 Volume 17 Pages 66-76

Details
Abstract
The present paper discusses "a tendency to regard the human body as an object", in which many young students in Japan adhere to implicitly. Furthermore, medical staff also adhere to the same tendency as the students. It is the purpose of this paper to propose both restraints on the tendency. Firstly, this paper shows a implication in one's naive experience in death with dignity. Patients' aspect of the body shows two views of patients' ideas on the human body : my body as private property and the state of affairs of my body as a diseased person. Secondly, this paper criticizes medical staff for their theory that it is possible for them to interpret the patients' condition according to statistics. This theory shows that the medical staff view the body as an object of operation for them. Finally, we confirm the difficult point of the tendencey, which is that this tendency suppresses the individuality, condition and expression of the body.
Content from these authors
© 1999 Japanese Association for Philosophical and Ethical Reseaerches in Medicine
Previous article Next article
feedback
Top