COMUNICAREA ADEVĂRULUI ȘI DEONTOLOGIA MEDICALĂ. NOTE LA ROGER HIGGS
THE COMMUNICATION OF TRUTH AND MEDICAL DEONTOLOGY. NOTES ON ROGER HIGGS

Summary/Abstract: The truth in communicating a serious medical diagnosis by a doctor is a subject that can be approached from multiple perspectives. Without systematic ethical support, Roger Higgs presents theoretical arguments for a certain 'realism' in addressing the truth, alongside experientially grounded reasoning. He discusses both the perspective of the physician and that of the patient, both within a teleology that nevertheless posits a universal principle as its foundation: 'The patient has the right to know their diagnosis.' The application of this principle entails certain exceptions, which Higgs justifies through post hoc arguments. The ethical consequences of the choice regarding truth communication can be unfavorable. In this article, I will make some observations of an ethical and epistemological nature regarding Roger Higgs’ theses. I will briefly present the other perspective, a more pessimistic one, regarding trust in human nature, as presented a century ago by Joseph Collins. I will conclude with a methodological comparison of the two authors' approaches to the subject.

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