Essay On Paternalism

The medical provider, such as doctor or nurse, has an obligation of beneficence towards the patient. The patient has a right to both skilled beneficence as well as the right to autonomy. However, autonomy and beneficence are often controversial in some circumstances. Everyone with autonomy has the right to make choices for themselves, including denying practices or choices that would interrupt the medical provider’s duty of beneficence. Paternalism is the overriding of a person’s autonomy for their own good. Two types of paternalism exist. There is weak paternalism, which is paternalism on a patient that does not have sufficient autonomy or a person whose autonomy is greatly diminished. There is also strong paternalism, which is overriding a person’s choices
Although many people believe that a child does not have sufficient autonomy, I disagree with this statement. If a child is at an age such as five, the child has already the ability to think and make judgments. I believe, then, that a medical provider should in detail and complete honesty explain to the child the circumstance before them. The child, regardless of the parents’ faith, should make the decision. This is considered to be just and right according to autonomy, because it is taking into account the child’s autonomy instead of the parent’s choices. If the child is in a coma or other circumstance that disallows the child to communicate and is causing the child’s body to suffer or die, then I think all beneficial procedures should take place to help the child’s body to heal or prevent death regardless of the parents’ religious beliefs. It is not right for a parent to assume a child’s faith will be the same as their own belief, because it could take away the child’s ability to live their life that would then allow the child to find their own means of faith or lack there