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- Should non-maleficence ever trump autonomy? Critically discuss with reference to health care, paternalism and/or truth telling and/or confidentiality.
Answering this essay question requires critical analysis. The essay should include reasons for and against the positions under consideration, including critical reflection on those reasons. Don’t consider the current legality of proposed actions. Do make clear any principles or values that the arguments rely on.
Students who wish to do so may answer this question with a specific focus on mental health care, criminal justice, data collection or processing, or another relevant discipline. For example, it might be argued that prisoners’ have lost their right to choose to keep certain health care information confidential, or that prisoners’ vulnerable situations justify paternalism.