beneficence [bĕ-nef´ĭ-sens]
beneficence (b
·neˑ·fi·sns),
the doing of active goodness, kindness, or charity, including all actions intended to benefit others. It is contrasted to benevolence, which refers to the character trait or moral virtue of being disposed to act for the benefit of others. In bioethics, the principle of beneficence refers to a moral obligation to act for the benefit of others. Not all acts of beneficence are obligatory, but a principle of beneficence asserts an obligation to help others further their interests. Obligations to confer benefits, to prevent and remove harms, and to weigh and balance the possible goods against the costs and possible harms of an action are central to bioethics.
Beneficence may be considered to include four components: (1) one ought not to inflict evil or harm (sometimes called the principle of nonmaleficence); (2) one ought to prevent evil or harm; (3) one ought to remove evil or harm; and (4) one ought to do or promote good.
Beneficence may be considered to include four components: (1) one ought not to inflict evil or harm (sometimes called the principle of nonmaleficence); (2) one ought to prevent evil or harm; (3) one ought to remove evil or harm; and (4) one ought to do or promote good.
beneficence (b
·neˑ·fi·sns),n a principle of medical ethics according to which a person should do good to others, especially when one has a professional duty to do so.
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