Author(s)
PETRŮ, MartinaKeywords
mthe Hippocratic Oathmedical sponze
Hippokratova přísaha
lékařská etika
lékařské sponze
medical ethics
Ethics
etika
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http://www.nusl.cz/ntk/nusl-175178Abstract
The Hippocratic Oath probably comes from the 4th - 5th century BC. It is traditionally attributed to ancient physician Hippocrates or one of his disciples. It was created as a moral guide to behavior of physicians and it describes fundamental ethical principles of their profession in relation to the surroundings, family, teachers and the patient. In its time it represented a revolutionary rule.Text of the Hippocratic Oath has functioned as an oath sworn by inchoative physicians for centuries. Today it is replaced by a medical oath, which, in its different variants, is based on ethical Hippocratic requirements related to quality of contact between the physician and the patient. Changes in the Hippocratic Oath are mainly related to the development of surgery, transplantation, euthanasia, etc. The Hippocratic Oath refuses surgical interventions, because in times when it was created, these principles were in conflict with beneficence and intactness.This is the reason why it also rejects euthanasia and abortion.Nowadays, these interventions are already legalised in some countries to a certain extent and are applied according to relevant principles. Target of this Bachelor´s thesis was to find out what significance is attached to the Hippocratic Oath today. The thesis was conceived as a theoretical and historical comparative study aimed at the interpretation of content of the Hippocratic Oath, its further historical development and its today's validity or applicability. It was examined whether its text can compete in present times and which parts are still valid and which have been overcome. For this purpose, there was used a comparison of interpretation of content of the Hippocratic Oath with present moral codes in medicine, specifically with the Czech Medical Chamber Code and the Nurse Code of Ethics.In the introductory chapter of my Bachelor´s thesis, there are defined basic concepts related to the Hippocratic Oath, such as ethics, morality, medical ethics, relations between ethics and the law and basic medical principles. The next chapter deals with the author of the Oath, his teachings, times and circumstances of creation of the Hippocratic Oath, development of changes in the text of medical sponzes connected to changes in the society. The third chapter is dedicated to history of medicine from death of Hippocrates to present days.The last section is dedicated to the text analysis of the Hippocratic Oath in connection with current status of the medical field, and at the same time there was carried out a comparison of its text with applicable codes mentioned above. Aim of this thesis, in addition to interpretation and validity findings of the Hippocratic Oath, is to reveal identical and different elements referring to its text in the codes. Mutual comparison revealed that ethical issues of both codes are in accordance with the Hippocratic Oath. General ethical principles like decency, thoughtfulness and mutual respect are concepts, which have effect even today. I would say that in some points the Hippocratic Oath is obsolete and does not have anything to offer today. However, the opposite is true. Nowadays, medicine develops at an incredible pace and good relations between the physician and the patient slowly fade away. The patient is increasingly becoming some kind of material substance. Physicians often carry out their work under pressure of environment, insurance companies, pharmaceutical and other companies. Decency, empathy and good manners are disappearing. Nowadays, the Hippocratic Oath cannot fully encompass all complicated relationships and problems physicians face during their performance of their occupation, and according to these problems they should choose actual ethical practices. Despite its age, however, it is still accepted by laical and professional public for its unquestionable moral legacy.Date
2014Type
info:eu-repo/semantics/bachelorThesisIdentifier
oai:invenio.nusl.cz:175178http://www.nusl.cz/ntk/nusl-175178