Attempting Quote by Margaret Mead
“This is a precious possession which we cannot afford to tarnish, but society always is attempting to make the physician into a killer to kill the defective child at birth, to leave the sleeping pills beside the bed of the cancer patient ... It is the duty of society to protect the physicians from such requests.”
About This Quote
Source Speech: Interview on medical ethics, 1960s
Society pressures physicians to make life‑ending decisions, but they should be protected from such demands.
In simple terms: Society tries to force doctors into killing patients; doctors need protection.
Key Takeaway
Defend doctors’ ethical autonomy.
Themes
ethics
medicine
societal pressure
life and death
professional duty
Mood
concerned
serious
Type
ethical
philosophical
When to use this quote
- hospital policy debates
- bioethics committees
- legislative hearings
- clinical practice
- public health campaigns
Key Concepts
medical ethics
moral autonomy
patient rights
Questions to Reflect On
- How should society limit pressure on doctors?
- What safeguards protect medical integrity?
A Different Perspective
Balancing patient autonomy with physician conscience can be complex.
