Principlism is a term commonly used in the field of medical ethics to describe an approach that is guided by a set of moral principles, including autonomy, beneficence, non-maleficence, and justice. The word is spelled /ˈprɪnsəplɪzəm/ with the stress on the second syllable. The phonetic transcription shows that the first syllable is pronounced as "prin," followed by "si" and then "plism." This word is derived from the noun "principle" and the suffix "-ism" which indicates a belief system or doctrine.
Principlism is an ethical framework that evolved in bioethics as a way to guide medical decision-making. It is a methodology that relies on a set of fundamental moral principles to analyze and resolve ethical dilemmas encountered in healthcare or biomedical sciences.
The three core principles of principlism are autonomy, beneficence, and justice. Autonomy refers to the respect for individuals' right to make their own decisions about their healthcare, allowing them to exercise their freedom and self-determination. Beneficence is the principle that emphasizes the obligation to act in the best interest of the patient and promoting their well-being, ensuring that the actions taken result in overall benefits for the patient. Justice, on the other hand, focuses on fairness and equal distribution of resources, ensuring that healthcare decisions consider equity and prioritize the vulnerable and disadvantaged in society.
Principlism involves a process of balancing and weighing these principles in ethical decision-making. It acknowledges that each case may present conflicting principles, and practitioners must carefully navigate these tensions to reach a justifiable resolution. It allows for flexibility and application in different cultural, societal, and medical contexts, making it a widely accepted ethical framework in healthcare.
Overall, principlism provides a structured approach to tackling ethical issues by grounding decision-making in universally accepted principles, aiming to optimize patient autonomy, beneficence, and justice.
The term "Principlism" is derived from the word "principle", which comes from the Latin word "principium", meaning "beginning" or "fundamental truth". "Principlism" combines the suffix "-ism", indicating a system, doctrine, or ideology, with "principle" to form a word describing an ethical framework based on fundamental principles.