The role of ‘accompagnement’ in the end-of-life debate in France: from solidarity to autonomy

• DOI: 10.1007/s11017-016-9389-1
• Publication Date: 2016-12-03T08:01:55Z
• Authors: Marie Gaille; Ruth Horn
• Keywords: Bioethics; Philosophy of medicine; Value (mathematics)

This article traces the way autonomy has become a recognised value in health care France. In country that based its social fundamentals on very idea of solidarity for many years, long been considered foreign 'Anglo-American principle'. Taking example end-of-life debate, shows, however, how use French term 'accompagnement' allowed to be redefined and associated with concept solidarity. Exploring arguments used over past 25 years professional guidelines, parliamentary reports, ethics committee legal texts, authors describe shift took place public discourses care. The analysis demonstrates scope limited by other values, such as protection dying person, order an accepted own right. debate shows depending is adapted applied specific context, it can compatible Such compatibility challenged previously international bioethics debate. By demonstrating possibility combining solidarity, this makes important contribution dialogue between countries are often perceived significantly different.