“Accompanied Only by My Thoughts”: A Kantian Perspective on Autonomy at the End of Life
Journal
The Journal of Medicine and Philosophy: A Forum for Bioethics and Philosophy of Medicine
ISSN
0360-5310
ISSN-Digital
1744-5019
Type
journal article
Date Issued
2022-12
Author(s)
Abstract (De)
Within bioethics, Kant’s conception of autonomy is often portrayed as excessively rationalistic, abstract, and individualistic, and, therefore, far removed from the reality of patients’ needs. Drawing on recent contributions in Kantian philosophy, we argue that specific features of Kantian autonomy remain relevant for medical ethics and for patient experience. We use contemporary end-of-life illness narratives—a resource that has not been analyzed with respect to autonomy—and show how they illustrate important Kantian themes, namely, the duty to know oneself, the interest in elaborating universalizable principles, and the emphasis on ideals as points of orientation that guide behavior without ever being fully realized. As Kant does, the patient-authors discussed here perceive the end of life as a moment to reflect on the constitutive principles which have governed that life, thereby offering a privileged moment to pursue self-knowledge. We argue that bioethical conceptions
of autonomy stand to gain if they revise their conception of Kantian moral philosophy as too formal, abstract, and detached from emotions and personal relationships to be helpfully applied.
of autonomy stand to gain if they revise their conception of Kantian moral philosophy as too formal, abstract, and detached from emotions and personal relationships to be helpfully applied.
Language
English
HSG Classification
contribution to practical use / society
HSG Profile Area
SHSS - Kulturen, Institutionen, Maerkte (KIM)
Refereed
Yes
Publisher
Oxford University Press
Publisher place
Oxford
Volume
47
Number
6
Start page
688
End page
700
Pages
13
Division(s)
Eprints ID
269275
File(s)![Thumbnail Image]()
Name
Autonomy_Elsner_Rampton.pdf
Size
250.25 KB
Format
Adobe PDF
Checksum (MD5)
48dfee93c8a1f76a8f03b0ba4dc7aed9