This dissertation is concerned not with medical theories, but with practices of Greek physicians, and I have addressed the subject of medical ethics as related to the Hippocratic tradition. And I have attempted a synthetic account of Greek physicians' actual practice and its ideals in the Hippocratic tradition. My understanding of the tradition succeeds the revelations in the first chapter of my doctorial thesis, one of them is the fact that Hippocratic tradition is amalgamation of ethical code with rational or scientific medical theory. In the first chapter of this dissertation, I have attempted a social history of Greek physicians by analyzing Hippocratic writings. The Hippocratic collections, Corpus Hippocraticum, throw light not only on the origins and early development of classical medicine, but on its place in Greek Society. In the second chapter, I aim at understanding of the medical morality in its practice by analyzing the Corpus. Particularly the Oath shall be examined. Some questions, above all, such as "Was it ever a reality or merely a 'counsel of perfection'?" can not be answered. But by the way of the examination of the deontological treatises, the characters of the ethics of Greek physicians become clear. It was the result of outward performance in the relation of inner intention. In the result Greek physicians were the first to attempt to establish a code of behaviour for the medical profession and to define the doctor's obligations to the society.
English Abstract ; Ethics, Medical/*history ; Greece ; History of Medicine, Ancient

Ethical consideration is an inseparable part of policy-making in modern society. Biomedical ethics is an interdisciplinary study of ethical issues that result from advances in medical practices and research. Because these issues often arise at the bedside, society must provide solutions or judgments that are effective and applicable. Thus, the development and progress of biomedical ethics has been made possible via the cooperation of experts from diverse backgrounds. The biomedical ethics discourse should not be seen as a conflict between values but as a collective activity for problem-solving. To support this perspective on ethics discourse, a historical perspective on biomedical ethics in Korea was given emphasis on the participants and their perspectives. Major cases and the changes resulting therefrom were discussed with the agenda proposed. The Korean situation with respect to ethics development shows the interactions between groups participating in policy development and its collaborative nature.
*Bioethics/history ; *Ethics, Medical/history ; Health Policy ; History, 20th Century ; History, 21st Century ; Humans ; Republic of Korea

When we think about ethics or morals, we tend to look at them from the viewpoint of here and now. Actual implications of then and there, however, could be different. That is why we should study history of bio-ethics along with philosophy involved in it. Bio-medical ethics is situated in spatial and cultural dimension as well as temporal and historical. Dentistry has been in a peculiar situation in that although it has evolved from the same root as medicine it has become separate discipline. Ethical implications of dentistry, however, share the historical and philosophical background with its mother discipline, i.e., medicine, surgery, barber-surgery and even smithery. This paper tries to grasp the main ideas of bio-medical ethics from the ancient Greek and China and picks up three of them as guiding principles, i.e., deontology and teleology from the west and self-cultivation from the east, It also tracks down the contents of modern biomedical ethics; from etiquette to ethics, from morals to contract (ethics of autonomy), and ethics of professional responsibility. Finally it reviews and analyzes two different traditions of dental professional regulation from the legal and ethical point of view (U.S. and Europe), and proposes a new direction for the construction of dental ethics in Korea.
Bioethics/*history ; Dentistry/*ethics ; English Abstract ; History of Medicine, 21st Cent. ; History of Medicine, Ancient ; History of Medicine, Early Modern ; History of Medicine, Medieval ; History of Medicine, Modern ; Korea ; Philosophy, Medical/*history

This article deals with the emergence of the codes of medical ethics and their change in Korean history. The modernized medical codes or covenants by the group of medical doctors has been made from the mid-twentieth century, although Korea has a long tradition of medical ethics, so called the Confucian medical ethics, Insul or Uido which were taken on very strong paternalistic characters. The history of the codes of medical ethics in contemporary Korea showed several revisions in 1961, 1965, 1979, and 1997 since the first establishment in 1955. Changes of political circumstances, the cultural level of the people, medical care system, and medical power leaded to the revisions. Throughout the revisions the codes or covenants of medical ethics in Korea has changed from simple translations of the codes by the World Medical Association and the American Medical Association to the reflexes of domestic medical situations; from the ones based on paternalistic doctor-patient relationship to more democratic ones; from the ones that only medical ethics were expressed to the ones that bioethics was expressed too.
English Abstract ; Ethics, Medical/*history ; History of Medicine, 20th Cent. ; History of Medicine, 21st Cent. ; History of Medicine, Ancient ; History of Medicine, Early Modern ; History of Medicine, Medieval ; History of Medicine, Modern ; Korea

What is medical professionalism and does it matter to the patients? Medical professionals take responsibility for their judgements and the consequences that ensue. Traditionally medical professionalism is defined as a set of values, behaviors, and relationships which support the trust the public has in doctors. The public is well aware that absence of professionalism is harmful to their interests. However, the exercise of medical professionalism is endangered by the political and cultural environment. The values of professionalism have been changed throughout the medical history and the meaning of it was also changed according to social theories. Traditional medical professionalism was based on the virtue of autonomy, self-regulation and competency etc. However, in the new millenium era, the meaning of professionalism has changed under the concept of responsibility which includes the classical virtues. The meaning of professionalism nowadays is only based on the structure and conflicting theories which cannot solve all the issues surrounding professionalism in medical practice. The conditions of medical practice are critical determinants for the future of professionalism. The interaction between doctor and patient is central to the medical care, and medical professionalism has roots in almost every aspect of medical care. I argue that doctors have responsibility to act according to the values which have been determined by the medical profession, history and surrounding society. The new millennium medical professionalism which based on the responsibility could initiate a public dialogue about the role of the doctor in creating a fairer society.
Ethics, Medical ; History of Medicine ; Humans ; Physician-Patient Relations ; *Professionalism ; Social Responsibility