What is it about?
This paper discusses the "ochlocratic trap" in medical ethics, where following majority opinion can lead to unethical practices. It advocates applying scientific principles like hypothesis testing and evidence gathering to ethical debates to avoid "groupthink."
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Why is it important?
This article highlights an important issue in medical ethics - blindly following the majority views without critical evaluation can enable unethical behavior, as seen in past ethical lapses like the Tuskegee study. The scientific approach proposed here could improve ethical decision-making in medicine.
Perspectives
It can sometimes seem easy to go along with established practices without reconsidering whether they are truly ethical. We must be vigilant against the ochlocratic trap and continuously re-examine our moral stances, especially as medicine advances. Using scientific methodology - gathering evidence, testing hypotheses, and open debate - can strengthen medical ethics and uphold our duty to patients.
Thomas F Heston MD
University of Washington
Read the Original
This page is a summary of: The Ochlocratic Trap: Why Bioethics Requires a Rational Scientific Framework, Not Mob Rule, SSRN Electronic Journal, January 2023, Elsevier,
DOI: 10.2139/ssrn.4519168.
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