Human Values in Medicine—From Core Human Values (Universal Values) Perspective

摘要

According to Sathya Sai Baba, an Indian philosopher, educationist andphilanthropist, human values have their derivative from the concept ofdivinity. In other words, human values are the characteristics of God in humancondition. He postulated the five human values, viz: Love, Truth , RightAction , Peace , Non-Violence . Within each value, there is arange of sub-values and they are expressed in medical ethics values. Medicalethics, on the other hand, is a system of moral principles that apply values tothe practice of clinical medicine and in scientific research. These valuesinclude the respect for autonomy (self-determination), non-maleficence(non-violence), beneficence (charity), justice (equity). Sai Baba points outthe subtle difference between human values and ethics, namely, that ethics is asystem conceived by humans without underpinning the role that divinity plays.Taken together with their sub-values, these five basic principles encompass afull vision of human potential, namely, the fulfillment of the quest of theintellect for truth , the channeling of the will into satisfyingexpression through right conduct , the resolution of the conflicts ofhuman emotions and interactions in the achievement of inner and outer peace ,the expansion of the heart in the flow of love and the realization ofperfect sympathy of all creation through non-violence . Human values in medicine, apart from being the moralbenchmark for relationship between physician and patient, necessitate ensuringthat clinical and management practices are consistent with widely acceptedethics standards, norms, and expectations. In recent years, scientism as a goalhas frequently led to the neglect of the humanism inherent in medical practicethat the scienc e of medicine has assumed precedence over the art of medicine. The pedagogy of Sai Baba’s value-basedhealthcare helps to elicit the human values inherent in every human being.