People have a social obligation to conform to the general rules of sleeping: sleep at night, in a bed, in a private place away from public view, and in proper attire.
Physicians make patients aware of those interventions that they (the patients) may then refuse. In short, informed consent is less about patient decisions than it is about restraining physicians.
John Timothy Kayiwa, MSc, Benard Matovu, MS, Michael Mutebi, Charity Angella Nassuna, MSc, Leonara Nabatanzi, Kevin T. Castle, DVM, MS, Robert M. Kityo, PhD, MS, and Rebekah C. Kading, PhD, MS
Bats are diverse mammals, globally distributed and ecologically critical, yet some carry disease agents that have severe consequences for human health.
AMA J Ethics. 2024;26(2):E153-161. doi:
10.1001/amajethics.2024.153.
The U. S. health care system encourages patients to take more responsibility for their own treatment decisions and expects their doctors to cooperate in that effort. But the guidelines for exercising that responsibility remain very murky indeed.
Asking for forgiveness may be oppressive to a patient or family still grappling with the fact of the harm, the impact of the harm, and their own emotional response to the harm.
Neuroscience's associations between localized brain activity and specific cognitive tasks is not sufficient evidence for rejecting the notion of free will and absolving individuals of responsibility for their behavior.