The Philosophical Foundation of Empowerment

Empowerment of the elderly within the health care system is a concept increasingly discussed in clinical and policy-making contexts. An examination of its current expressions and underlying philosophical principles reveals four different interpretations: empowerment as political activism and social process, empowerment as effective deliberation and moral reflection, empowerment as personal process. and empowerment as balance and interdependence. How empowerment is defined and expressed has distinct implications for the practitioner. who must be sensitive to tile underlying value conflicts that are at the core of decision making in the clinical or the public policy setting.