Deliberative democracy, public reason and the allocation of clinical care resources
This thesis discusses how societies should allocate clinical care resources. The first aim of the thesis is to defend the idea that clinical care resource allocation is a matter for deliberative democratic procedures. I argue that deliberative democracy is justified because of its ability to implement equal respect and autonomy. Furthermore, I address several in-principle objections to the project of applying deliberative democracy to clinical care resource allocation. Most notably, I respond to the narrow view of the scope of deliberative democracy and the critiques of explicit rationing. The second aim of the thesis is to determine what is required by deliberative democracy in clinical care resource allocation. I identify the general requirements that resource allocation agencies should meet, namely public reason, public involvement, transparency, accuracy and revisability. I then examine what is required by deliberative democracy with regard to two particularly salient specific topics, namely the substantive values that should govern resource allocation and the involvement of scientific experts in decision-making. I demonstrate that public reason imposes severe constraints on the substantive values that
Badano, G.
Deliberative democracy, public reason and the allocation of clinical care resources. This thesis discusses how societies should allocate clinical care resources. The first aim of the thesis is to defend the idea that clinical care resource allocation is a matter for deliberative democratic procedures. I argue that deliberative democracy is justified because of its ability to implement equal respect and autonomy. Furthermore, I address several in-principle objections to the project of applying deliberative democracy to clinical care resource allocation. Most notably, I respond to the narrow view of the scope of deliberative democracy and the critiques of explicit rationing. The second aim of the thesis is to determine what is required by deliberative democracy in clinical care resource allocation. I identify the general requirements that resource allocation agencies should meet, namely public reason, public involvement, transparency, accuracy and revisability. I then examine what is required by deliberative democracy with regard to two particularly salient specific topics, namely the substantive values that should govern resource allocation and the involvement of scientific experts in decision-making. I demonstrate that public reason imposes severe constraints on the substantive values that
deliberative democracy public reason allocation clinical care resource discus society allocate clinical care resource first aim_defend idea clinical care resource allocation matter deliberative democratic procedure argue deliberative democracy justified ability implement equal respect autonomy furthermore address_several principle objection project apply deliberative democracy clinical care resource allocation notably respond narrow view scope deliberative democracy critique explicit ration second_aim determine require deliberative democracy clinical care resource allocation identify general requirement resource allocation agency meet namely public reason public involvement transparency accuracy examine require deliberative democracy regard particularly salient specific topic namely substantive value govern resource allocation involvement scientific expert decision_making public reason imposes severe constraint substantive value