The Evolving Idea of Social Responsibility in Bioethics

Abstract

This article discusses the notion of social responsibility for personal health and well-being in bioethics. Although social responsibility is an intrinsic aspect of bioethics, and its role is increasingly recognized in certain areas, it can still be claimed that bioethics in general is committed to an individualistic theoretical framework that disregards the social context in which decisions, health, and well-being are situated. The philosophical premises of this framework regard individuals as rational decisionmakers who can be held accountable for their health conditions and who should be the primary objects of intervention in attempts to reduce lifestyle-associated chronic diseases. There are, however, social determinants of health that challenge this conclusion. Because their impact can be controlled, to a certain extent, by social and public policy decisions, their existence shows the inadequacy of the purely individualistic approach. I suggest, accordingly, that bioethics would benefit, both academically and societally, from a more social perspective. Bioethical studies that acknowledge, from the start, the social determinants of health would be more amenable to constructive multi- and interdisciplinarity, and a more balanced account of responsibility would further the contribution of sound bioethical work to sensible public policies.

Their view: difficulties and challenges of patients and physicians in cross-cultural encounters and a medical ethics perspective

“…[…] This is no longer topic for me then.” (I 28)’ . Yet, against the proven background of social factors contributing to health [ 11 , 41 ], a call for medical ethics to take the social context into account has been made, arguing that “holding individuals solely responsible for their own health is not a fair conclusion, because so many determinants of health are beyond the individual’s control” [ 49 ]. We assume that acknowledging this view may contribute to a climate in medicine where the social perspective can become an integral part of what is considered relevant for an individual’s health.…”

“…We assume that acknowledging this view may contribute to a climate in medicine where the social perspective can become an integral part of what is considered relevant for an individual’s health. On the individual level of encounter, such a shift in assumption helps to reduce the discrepancy which arises when regarding the patient as an “autonomous agent” [ 49 ] and on the other hand being confronted with his/ her health-related behaviour which is based on social or personal conditions.…”

Adulthood transitions in health and welfare; a literature review

“…After the year 2000, it has been an emerging emphasis on the individual's responsibility for maintaining health through lifestyle choices (Ahola-Launonen, 2015). In the life style transition an additional concept, nutrition transition, has emerged (Lindsay et al, 2009;Traissac et al, 2015) and it refers to less physical activity in combination with increased consumption of energy-dense food and eating behaviours (Pham, Worsley, Lawrence, & Marshall, 2017;Shaikh et al, 2017).…”

Justice and the Possibility of Good Moralism in Bioethics

“…With convenient normative background assumptions, these facts provide a basis for moralistic regulations and policy. 102,103,104 If we believe that individuals are primarily responsible for their own health-related choices, and that self-induced ill-health is therefore not the state's concern, we can be reluctant to extend public health services to citizens who have diet-or lifestyle-related health issues. When the state makes this known to the population, the population faces a liberty-restricting threat that is not justified by the harm principle.…”