Primum non nocere

2010-05-25

“Primum non nocere” is the medical doctrine that every practitioner of medicine should abide by, it means first of all do no harm. It is a very powerful and noble principle and for all intended purposes it is a moral guideline that we should try to live by as much as possible. 

Having said that, it has become painful obvious to me that the doctrine of do no harm cannot be the only moral doctrine a perfect society is founded upon. Freedom as such has the same connotations, in being that it directly appeals to something deep within us. Most people that experienced slavery in some form wish for freedom of their own actions. 

But freedom of actions is exactly the cause of harm. Because I can envision what I would call a benevolent dictatorship where all people are keep in separate cells to protect them from each other. The principle of do no harm would be abided to the fullest, every individual would not lack anything. Ample food, comfort, shelter, entertainment etc would be provided. Even so the fact that it is a dictatorship and we have no right in it seems to the modern mind depressing. So as sad as it may seem I have to say that do no harm cannot be the only morale principle that one bases its action upon. 

This means in no way it s useless; the analogy to physics comes to mind. Where Newton’s laws of gravity work fine for all that we human need to do in our every day to day live. But when we try to push these laws to their limits, cracks start to appear and we have to turn to Einstein’s theory of general relativity. As a doctrine in how to treat your friends, loved ones and everyone around you do no harm is a noble doctrine to follow, but as a basis of a perfect society it seems to break down (as least if it’s the only one).