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There is no "first, do no harm" principle in medicine. And for good reason, it's a bad principle.
by damnyou 6y ago
There is no "first, do no harm" principle in medicine. And for good reason, it's a bad principle.
- guscost 6y ago> Non-maleficence, which is derived from the maxim, is one of the principal precepts of bioethics that all students in healthcare are taught in school and is a fundamental principle throughout the world. https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Primum_non_nocere https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Primum_non_nocere
- damnyou 6y agoI mean, yes, in some cases not doing anything is the right call, but that is a much weaker statement than "first, do no harm".
- throwaway4220 6y agoThis is the first thought that goes through every good MD's mind. "A good surgeon knows when not to operate."
- damnyou 6y agoThat is very different from "first, do no harm". That is a cost-benefit calculation that many of us are familiar with in our own professions. "First, do no harm" just encodes status quo bias.
- throwaway4220 6y agoI think I understand what you mean. In med ethics you weigh: autonomy, justice, nonmaleficence (do no harm) and beneficence (do good). You're right, no harm is not blindly followed, but it is relevant to bring it up in this discussion.
- damnyou 6y agoRight, exactly.
- throwaway4220 6y agoI'm obviously biased but I think the same general principles should be disseminated widely to software engineering/programmers.
- bdcravens 6y agoThat's cost/benefit analysis, not adherence to a maxim.