Harm
Harm is a moral and legal concept with multiple definitions. It generally functions as a synonym for evil or anything that is bad under certain moral systems. Something that causes harm is harmful, and something that does not is harmless.
Philosophical construction
Moral Philosopher Bernard Gert construed harm (or "evil") as any of the following:[1]
Joel Feinberg gives an account of harm as setbacks to interests.[2] He distinguishes welfare interests from ulterior interests. Hence on his view there are two kinds of harm.
Welfare interests are
interests in the continuance for a foreseeable interval of one's life, and the interests in one's own physical health and vigor, the integrity and normal functioning of one's body, the absence of absorbing pain and suffering or grotesque disfigurement, minimal intellectual acuity, emotional stability, the absence of groundless anxieties and resentments, the capacity to engage normally in social intercourse and to enjoy and maintain friendships, at least minimal income and financial security, a tolerable social and physical environment, and a certain amount of freedom from interference and coercion.[3]
Ulterior interests are "a person's more ultimate goals and aspirations", such as "producing good novels or works of art, solving a crucial scientific problem, achieving high political office, successfully raising a family".
Many philosophers have proposed variations of moral obligations to avoid causing harm, or have promoted harmlessness as a virtue, and ethical frameworks have been developed considering harmlessness as a principle in decision-making and social interactions. The phrase, "do no harm" (in Latin "
Medical classifications
In the UK, harm is classified in a medical context as "severe", "moderate" or "mild". Severe harm is associated with resulting permanent disability, whereas mild and moderate harm can be resolved over a period of time.[8] Medical reporting duties and the statutory duty of candour are associated with moderate and severe harm and also with "prolonged psychological harm".[9]
Harm reduction
Harm reduction, or harm minimization, refers to a range of intentional practices and
Harm reduction is most commonly applied to approaches that reduce adverse consequences from drug use, and harm reduction programs now operate across a range of services and in different regions of the world. As of 2020, some 86 countries had one or more programs using a harm reduction approach to substance use, primarily aimed at reducing blood-borne infections resulting from use of contaminated injecting equipment.[13]
Other
- AGM-88 HARM (Tactical air-to-surface anti-radiation missile)
See also
References
- ^ Gert 2004
- ^ Feinberg 1984.
- ^ Feinberg 1984, p. 37.
- British Medical Journalelectronic responses and commentary, 1 September 2002.
- ^ An Essay on the Philosophy of Medical Science, Lea & Blanchard, 1844
- S2CID 41058798.
- ^ Inman, Thomas (1860). Hays, Isaac (ed.). "Book review of Foundation for a New Theory and Practice of Medicine". The American Journal of the Medical Sciences. XL. Philadelphia, PA: Blanchard and Lea: 450–58.
- ^ Panagioti, M. et al., Preventable Patient Harm across Health Care Services: A Systematic Review and Meta-analysis (Understanding Harmful Care), a report for the General Medical Council, July 2017, accessed 7 January 2024
- ^ Devlin, M., The candour threshold, MDU Journal, Issue 2, accessed 7 January 2024
- )
- ^ Open Society Foundations (2021). What is Harm Reduction. New York: Open Society Foundations.
- ^ Harm Reduction International (2021). "What Is Harm Reduction?". Retrieved January 10, 2022.
- ^ Harm Reduction International (2021). Global State of Harm Reduction 2020 (PDF). London: Harm Reduction International. pp. 18–23.
Sources
- Feinberg, Joel. 1984. The Moral Limits of the Criminal Law, Volume 1: Harm to Others. New York: Oxford University Press.
- Bernard Gert, Common Morality, Oxford University Press, 2004.