Mental capacity and decisional autonomy: An interdisciplinary challenge
Inquiry: An Interdisciplinary Journal of Philosophy 52 (1):79 – 107 (2009)
Abstract
With the waves of reform occurring in mental health legislation in England and other jurisdictions, mental capacity is set to become a key medico-legal concept. The concept is central to the law of informed consent and is closely aligned to the philosophical concept of autonomy. It is also closely related to mental disorder. This paper explores the interdisciplinary terrain where mental capacity is located. Our aim is to identify core dilemmas and to suggest pathways for future interdisciplinary research. The terrain can be separated into three types of discussion: philosophical, legal and psychiatric. Each discussion approaches mental capacity and judgmental autonomy from a different perspective yet each discussion struggles over two key dilemmas: whether mental capacity and autonomy is/should be a moral or a psychological notion and whether rationality is the key constitutive factor. We suggest that further theoretical work will have to be interdisciplinary and that this work offers an opportunity for the law to enrich its interpretation of mental capacity, for psychiatry to clarify the normative elements latent in its concepts and for philosophy to advance understanding of autonomy through the study of decisional dysfunction. The new pressures on medical and legal practice to be more explicit about mental capacity make this work a priority.Author's Profile
DOI
10.1080/00201740802661502
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Citations of this work
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Unreasonable reasons: normative judgements in the assessment of mental capacity.Natalie F. Banner - 2012 - Journal of Evaluation in Clinical Practice 18 (5):1038-1044.
Emotion and Value in the Evaluation of Medical Decision-Making Capacity: A Narrative Review of Arguments.Helena Hermann, Manuel Trachsel, Bernice S. Elger & Nikola Biller-Andorno - 2016 - Frontiers in Psychology 7.
Should Neuroscience Inform Judgements of Decision-Making Capacity?Andrew Peterson - 2018 - Neuroethics 12 (2):133-151.
Should Neuroscience Inform Judgements of Decision-Making Capacity?Andrew Peterson - 2018 - Neuroethics 12 (2):133-151.
References found in this work
Freedom of the will and the concept of a person.Harry Frankfurt - 1971 - Journal of Philosophy 68 (1):5-20.