Autonomy: A Moral Good, Not a Moral Obsession

While acknowledging the value of respect for autonomy as a means of moral independence for the individual, Callahan sees a danger in autonomy the moral goal of a society or of a system of medical care. discusses its shortcomings as a form of subjectivism that may end up being as a justification for selfishness. Accordingly, autonomy should be a necessary but not a sufficient condition for a moral life; what needed as well is a broader ethic that incorporates obligations to others builds bonds of community. (KIE abstract)