Changing Ethics Over Time Posted: 09-13-06 11:32am
Here is a copy of the original hippocratic
oath, from ancient greece. Remember of
course that the ancient greek society was
patriarchal and that women in this society
were considered nothing more that servants
and baby machines, meant only to produce
male offspring. As such, obviously
abortions were out of the question: what
if it was a male? She's just a house
appliance anyway! Here are two very
different versions of the original
hippocratic oath:
Quote:
"(wikipedia) http://en.Wikipedi
a.Org/wiki/hippocratic_oath
(original, translated from greek.)
i swear by Æsculapius, hygeia, and
panacea, and I take to witness all the
gods, all the goddesses, to keep according
to my ability and my judgement, the
following oath.
To consider dear to me as my parents him
who taught me this art; to live in common
with him and if necessary to share my
goods with him; to look upon his children
as my own brothers, to teach them this art
if they so desire without fee or written
promise; to impart to my sons and the sons of
the master who taught me and the
disciples who have enrolled themselves and
have agreed to the rules of the
profession, but to these alone the
precepts and the instruction.
I will prescribe regimens for the good of
my patients according to my ability and my
judgment and never do harm to anyone.
To please no one will I prescribe a deadly
drug nor give advice which may cause his
death.
nor will I
give a woman a pessary to procure
abortion.
but I will preserve the purity of my life
and my art.
I will not cut for stone, even for
patients in whom the disease is manifest;
I will leave this operation to be
performed by practitioners, specialists in
this art.
In every house where I come I will enter
only for the good of my patients, keeping myself
far from all intentional ill-doing and all
seduction and especially from the
pleasures of love with women or with men,
be they free or slaves.
all that may come to my knowledge in the
exercise of my profession or in daily
commerce with men, which ought not to be
spread abroad, I will keep secret and will
never reveal.
If I keep this oath faithfully, may I
enjoy my life and practice my art,
respected by all men and in all times; but
if I swerve from it or violate it, may the
reverse be my
lot."
i highlighted the part that pro-life is
fawning over. I also higlighted a line
that further enforces the male-hierarchy.
Definately not a good time to be a woman,
to say the least. Not only could she not
get a legal abortion; but he was often not
allowed to leave the house!
The line about seduction by men or women
seems odd to a modern person... But once
again, it is s sign of the times that this
oath was written in; and shows yet again
its inaccuracy for the modern times.
i swear by apollo physician and asclepius
and hygieia and panaceia and all the gods
and goddesses, making them my witnesses,
that I will fulfil according to my ability
and judgment this oath and this covenant:
to hold him who has taught me this art as
equal to my parents and to live my life in
partnership with him, and if he is in need
of money to give him a share of mine, and
to regard his offspring as equal to my
brothers in male lineage and to teach them
this art - if they desire to learn it -
without fee and covenant; to give a share
of precepts and oral instruction and all
the other learning to my sons and to the sons
of him who has instructed me and to
pupils who have signed the covenant and
have taken an oath according to the
medical law, but no one else.
I will apply dietetic measures for the
benefit of the sick according to my
ability and judgment; I will keep them
from harm and injustice.
I will neither give a deadly drug to
anybody who asked for it, nor will I make
a suggestion to this effect. similarly I will
not give to a woman an abortive remedy.
in purity and holiness I will guard
my life and my art.
I will not use the knife, not even on
sufferers from stone, but will withdraw in
favor of such men as are engaged in this
work.
now, here is a "modern" version. There
are so many circulating that it's not even
funny. Notice a distinct lack of
specific lines...
i swear to fulfill, to the best of my
ability and judgment, this covenant:
i will respect the hard-won scientific
gains of those physicians in whose steps I
walk, and gladly share such knowledge as
is mine with those who are to follow.
I will apply, for the benefit of the sick,
all measures [that] are required, avoiding
those twin traps of overtreatment and
therapeutic nihilism.
I will remember that there is art to
medicine as well as science, and that
warmth, sympathy, and understanding may
outweigh the surgeon's knife or the
chemist's drug.
I will not be ashamed to say "i know not,"
nor will I fail to call in my colleagues
when the skills of another are needed for
a patient's recovery.
I will respect the privacy of my patients,
for their problems are not disclosed to me
that the world may know. Most especially
must I tread with care in matters of life
and death. If it is given me to save a
life, all thanks. But it may also be
within my power to take a life; this
awesome responsibility must be faced with
great humbleness and awareness of my own
frailty. above all, I must not play at
god.
i will remember that I do not treat a
fever chart, a cancerous growth, but a
sick human being, whose illness may affect
the person's family and economic
stability. My responsibility includes
these related problems, if I am to care
adequately for the sick.
I will prevent disease whenever I can, for
prevention is preferable to cure.
I will remember that I remain a member of
society, with special obligations to all
my fellow human beings, those sound of
mind and body as well as the infirm.
If I do not violate this oath, may I enjoy
life and art, respected while I live and
remembered with affection thereafter.
May I always act so as to preserve the
finest traditions of my calling and may I
long experience the joy of healing those
who seek my
help.
even this version is outdated; as it
mentions god, and many doctors these days
are agnostic or atheist. Religion has no
place in science. However, I highlight
that line because i'm sure it will be
abused by pro-life.
Notice, nothing about passing knowledge to
sons, and nothing about not
giving women abortions? This is the most
current version used... And even this
hasn't been widely accepted since 1970 in
the .U.S.A.
Quote:
in the 1970s cultural and social forces induced
many american medical schools to abandon
the hippocratic oath as part of graduation
ceremonies, usually substituting a version
modified to something considered more
politically up to date, or an
alternate pledge like the oath or prayer
of maimonides.
The hippocratic oath has been updated by
the declaration of geneva. In the united
kingdom, the general medical council
provides clear modern guidance in the form
of its 'duties of a doctor' and 'good
medical practice'
statements.
