[How competent is the physician?].
Medicine's primary concern is ethical; science and technology must be subordinated human concerns. The article argues that ethical wisdom should be considered the most important quality in a doctor, being necessary in order to ensure that the doctor's theoretical knowledge and practical skills are used for the benefit of the patient. A young doctor describes his attempts to make use of philosophical insight--in particular some elements of Aristotle's ethics--while reflecting on his own clinical experiences, trying to counterbalance medicine's "scientific culture". The case is made that knowledge of human nature, respect for the patient's views and values, and acknowledgement of the doctor's fallibility are central to ethical wisdom in medicine.
Hjörleifsson
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Medisinsk avdeling, Harstad sykehus, 9480 Harstad. stefan.hjorleifsson@isf.uib.no
D002983:Clinical Competence; D004992:Ethics, Medical; D006808:Humanism; D006801:Humans; D019359:Knowledge; D013677:Medical Laboratory Science; D009664:Norway; D010686:Philosophy, Medical