Book contents
- The Nature and Limitations of Conscience in Healthcare
- Cambridge Bioethics and Law
- The Nature and Limitations of Conscience in Healthcare
- Copyright page
- Dedication
- Contents
- Table of Cases and Statutes
- Acknowledgements
- 1 Introduction
- 2 Conscience from First Principles
- 3 Respecting Conscience
- 4 Responsibilities of Conscience
- 5 Conscientious Provision and Objection
- 6 Complicity and Corporate Conscience
- 7 Regulating Claims of Conscience
- 8 Conclusion
- Bibliography
- Index
- Cambridge Studies in Bioethics and Health Law
4 - Responsibilities of Conscience
Published online by Cambridge University Press: 12 September 2025
Book contents
- The Nature and Limitations of Conscience in Healthcare
- Cambridge Bioethics and Law
- The Nature and Limitations of Conscience in Healthcare
- Copyright page
- Dedication
- Contents
- Table of Cases and Statutes
- Acknowledgements
- 1 Introduction
- 2 Conscience from First Principles
- 3 Respecting Conscience
- 4 Responsibilities of Conscience
- 5 Conscientious Provision and Objection
- 6 Complicity and Corporate Conscience
- 7 Regulating Claims of Conscience
- 8 Conclusion
- Bibliography
- Index
- Cambridge Studies in Bioethics and Health Law
Summary
This fourth chapter begins by exploring one of the central problems with the description of conscience outlined in Chapter Two. If conscience is really a broad concept, then there is the possibility it can be used to severely limit patient choice. Chapter Four attempts to resolve this difficulty by arguing that conscience should not be protected as a right. Instead, it is an interest, and its protection should be based on whether the person claiming conscience acts responsibly in doing so. Three responsibilities of conscience are set out – humility, universality, and reciprocal respect. Each is shown to be crucial to the protection of conscience.
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- Chapter
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- The Nature and Limitations of Conscience in Healthcare , pp. 62 - 81Publisher: Cambridge University PressPrint publication year: 2025
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