An interesting article by Ronald Hamowy titled “Medical Responsibility” appears in the Fall 2012 issue of the The Journal of Law, Medicine & Ethics.
While I don’t agree with the all the points addressed in the article some of the points are worth mentioning. Ronald says
“That we are part of some organic body and that we are interconnected so that we “belong” to and are responsible for each other is basically antithetical to our notion of the sovereignty of the individual. Nothing is more elemental to the nature of man than that he be in control over the decisions that affect him. And no decisions are more central to his existence than the medical care he receives. This extends to being able to determine the type and degree of medical care he opts for and to choose among those who might provide these services. Self-responsibility is not a burden — or at least not just a burden — but a method of insuring that the each of us has plenary control over our lives. And the only economic system compatible with individual autonomy is one of free markets, which also serves as the most efficient system for the production and distribution of goods and services.”
Now look I could go on and on about why I disagree with the notion that an individual is truly sovereign and that he has full control over the decisions that affect him. For example see the post Health Care Should Not Be Framed in the Personal Responsibility Narrative , Is What We Read Accurate or Sort of Accurate?, and Astroturfing And How Your Thoughts Are Being Manipulated by Corporate Interests. Our ability to form decisions and make choices is based on the information and beliefs that others provide us which shapes our own views and thoughts.
For example, before I was considering have my wisdom teeth extracted I conducted research on the internet to look at the potential risks and benefits. I also held certain beliefs about the world that were shaped by information I was receiving from others through the educational system, TV, friends, family, and etc. During this time I did not come across many of the risks of having wisdom teeth removed as indicated on my website http://www.teethremoval.com/complications.html nor was this information disclosed to me. I was not aware of the fact that many of the risks did not have to be legally disclosed every though I would have deemed them as material. Further, I was not aware of the controversy surrounding wisdom teeth extractions as discussed over at http://www.teethremoval.com/controversy.html.
Now it is no surprise to me where Ronald gets his opinions from since he is a Fellow in Social Thought at the Cato Institute in Washington, D.C.