Gamble Nathan K, Pruski Michal
University of Toronto , Toronto , Canada.
Manchester Metropolitan University , Manchester , UK.
New Bioeth. 2019 Sep;25(3):262-282. doi: 10.1080/20502877.2019.1649871. Epub 2019 Aug 5.
A key question has been underexplored in the literature on conscientious objection: if a physician is required to perform 'medical activities,' what is a medical activity? This paper explores the question by employing a teleological evaluation of medicine and examining the analogy of military conscripts, commonly cited in the conscientious objection debate. It argues that physicians (and other healthcare professionals) can only be expected to perform and support acts - acts directed towards their patients' health. That is, physicians cannot be forced to provide or support services that are not medical in nature, even if such activities support other socially desirable pursuits. This does not necessarily mean that medical professionals cannot or should not provide non-medical services, but only that they are under no to provide them.
在有关良心拒服兵役的文献中，一个关键问题尚未得到充分探讨：如果要求医生进行“医疗活动”，那么什么是医疗活动呢？本文通过对医学进行目的论评估并审视良心拒服兵役辩论中常用的应征入伍者的类比来探讨这个问题。文章认为，只能期望医生履行并支持一些行为——旨在促进患者健康的行为。也就是说，即使此类活动有助于其他社会期望的追求，也不能强迫医生提供或支持非医疗性质的服务。这并不一定意味着医疗专业人员不能或不应该提供非医疗服务，而只是意味着他们没有义务提供这些服务。
