2013 Volume 32 Issue 1 Pages 1-6
At the beginning of the 19th century when the term“medical ethics"appeared for the first time, the main object of this concept was to secure some ethical norms between the doctors. In the course of time, the“objects"of the protection by ethical norms in medical practices are broadened to the extent that they cover the doctors, the patients, and the State. As is well known, the medical ethics is institutionalized about in the 1970's, and is still growing to firmly establish itself in the domain of medicine. With its aid, the difficult problems such as euthanasia, physician-assisted suicide, or palliative care etc. are sophisticatedly discussed in the society. But, at the same time, the medical ethics has a propensity to become more bureaucratized so as to be confused with just routine works inside the medical practices. Theoretically it must be a meta-medicine, but it becomes closer to be just a para-medicine or a sub-medicine. In order to avoid its bureaucratization, we have to remember the importance of some philosophical reflections whenever we treat medical problems and try to resolve them.
