What is it about?
This article explores the concept of relational autonomy—the idea that our decisions and freedom are shaped by our relationships with others. Using lessons from the COVID-19 pandemic and from twentieth-century philosophy, it shows how personal choices in health care are never made in isolation but depend on family, society, and medical professionals.
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Why is it important?
The pandemic revealed that individual decisions, such as wearing a mask or getting vaccinated, always affect others. This article provides a framework for understanding autonomy not just as independence but as interdependence. This perspective can improve medical ethics, health care policies, and patient–doctor communication in times of crisis and beyond.
Perspectives
For me, this article was an opportunity to connect philosophy with urgent real-life questions raised by COVID-19. I wanted to highlight that respecting patients’ freedom also means recognizing their vulnerability and social ties. Writing it helped me see autonomy in a more human and relational way, something I consider essential for health care ethics today.
Carlos Gomez-Virseda
Associatie KU Leuven
Read the Original
This page is a summary of: Relational autonomy: lessons from COVID-19 and twentieth-century philosophy, Medicine Health Care and Philosophy, June 2021, Springer Science + Business Media,
DOI: 10.1007/s11019-021-10035-2.
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