Damien Keown
\nGoldsmiths College, University of London<\/p>\n
Medical and other analogies which depict the Buddha as a physician or wise parent are found in the Lotus S\u016btra<\/em> and are common in Buddhist literature.\u00a0 To what extent does this image of the wise father-figure encourage paternalism in Buddhist ethics? Making reference to the approach to medical ethics developed by Beauchamp and Childress (the “four principles”), this paper discusses the ethics of the Lotus S\u016btra<\/em> in the light of debate about the justifiability of paternalism in contemporary medical practice.\u00a0 It offers a critique of what appears to be an incipient moral paternalism in Mah\u0101y\u0101na Buddhism which manifests itself in a particular development of the concept of skillful means.\u00a0 It is suggested that Buddhist sources which apply the concept of skillful means to normative ethics may be characterized as “paternalist” insofar as the principle of beneficence is allowed undue predominance over respect for autonomy.<\/p>\n Read article<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" ISSN:1076\u20139005 Volume 5 1998 Paternalism in the Lotus S\u016btra Damien Keown Goldsmiths College, University of London Medical and other analogies which depict the Buddha as a physician or wise parent are found in the Lotus S\u016btra and are common in Buddhist literature.\u00a0 To what extent does this image of the wise father-figure encourage paternalism in … Continue reading Paternalism in the Lotus S\u016btra<\/span>