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The Universal Ethic Of Mutual Benefit
Philip G. NEY, MA, MDa
aBritish Colombia University, CANADA
The Hippocratic Oath was not perfect, but it worked reasonably well because it took an absolutist position and provided guidelines. It safeguarded the patient from; 1)having abortions because of the pressures of the Satete to limit or change population, 2) the family from relatives who might poison their aged and infirm relatives, 3) the doctors themselves from taking advantage of the patient’s dependency.
Now the Hippocratic Oath is being dispensed with and replaced by relativism, but this is creating measurable chaos. I have suggested that the U.E.M.B. is a replacement. Its value can be seen pragmatically, cooperative patients and diminishing health care costs.
Science and ethics must agree. Science has constants (eg. The speed of light, teh force of gravity) and by these constants all other things are measured., Because of these constants, comparative values can be determined. Science and ethics must integrate and this means that ethics must use constants. To be an absolutist is like imposing a speed limit. This is not to say every body will or even should adhere to it, but it becomes one that we can measure deviations by. It also provides guidelines for day to day decisions by those who have to maket hem. It will also help us recognize when we are using denial to promote a false sense of security and immortality. The U.E.M.B can be widely accepted and will govern most social interactions in civilized society.Keywords: Medical ethics, Universal ethic, Hippoccratic OathTurkiye Klinikleri J Med Ethics 1994,2:53-56
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