Informed Consent (1)

Abstract

The principle of informed consent has become almost the cornerstone of medical ethics discussions in the West.¹ Sometimes it seems as if no other principle in medical ethics can hold a candle to the supremacy of this principle. The principle derives its validity from the more basic principle of autonomy, which in turn is based on the even more fundamental principle of respect for persons. In fact the simplest and most profound conclusion of Annas’ and Grodin’s lengthy 1992 study of the Doctors’ Trial at Nuremberg is that “the need to respect the humanity and self-determination of all humans is central to the ethos not only of medicine and human experimentation but of all civilized societies.”