Medical Ethics: Determinism, Freedom, and Authority

Medical ethics is the study of moral values and judgments as they apply to medicine. By applying of the principles and rules of medical ethics (and generally in ethics), we judge individuals’ behavior and encourage or punish that behavior subjectively or objectively. Essentially "human being" is in one of these three states. He is either totally free or one hundred percent forced or has an authority [free will]. If absolute determinism is dominant in creation, and humans have no choice in relation to their behavior, our moral judgments will be meaningless and inappropriate. In the completely opposite point of absolute determinism, is absolute freedom. If human is absolutely free, being responsible and accountable, and as a result moral judgment, will be meaningless and unwise, too. However, according to Imamiyyah’s Muslims the world is dominated neither with absolute determinism nor with absolute freedom. This view advocates and defendes “authority”. In the state of "authority", there are at least two or more options and a person is "free" to choose between them and he has to be responsible and accountable for his choice.

Keywords: Determinism, Freedom, Authority, Medical Ethics, Moral judgment.