The Right to Decent Minimum Healthcare: Arguments for Special Rights and Enforced Beneficence

This paper discusses the arguments presented by Allen Buchanan in his paper on the right to decent minimum healthcare. The author supports the idea of entitling special rights to minorities contributing to decent minimum right to health and abiding to principle of beneficence.

Running head: PHILOSOPHY
Philosophy
Name of the Student
Name of the University
Author note

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PHILOSOPHY
In the paper published by Buchanan, (1984) the author stated that there is NO right to
decent minimum healthcare and presented three arguments that outlines and supports his
viewpoints. The notion of decent minimum health is not only applied to healthcare but also to
health claiming that everyone is entitled is to receive minimum level of health and welfare,
however, it is difficult to explain that minimum level of health for every individual within the
social domain and control. However, the author, Allen Buchanan argued that combination of
special rights and harm prevention that is publicly funded by healthcare easily accessible and
justified. Although, the author argues that individuals are entitled to same treatment, however the
access to healthcare is limited to special rights and specific people. I agree with the first
argument that is made by the author where special rights in healthcare should be provided to
people who had injustices caused to have indirect or direct effects on the health of the people.
He argues that individuals belonging to minority populations deserve right to health as they
suffered in the past that had led to detrimental effects on their health due to racism and
marginalization (Buchanan, 1984). These minority groups require special rights to health so that
they are able to enjoy equal rights as common people. They are subjected to discrimination that
resulted in negative health effects and require a society that provides equal access to health to the
minorities.
The right to decent minimum health is called strong equal access where minorities should
have equal right to health as citizens accessing the best healthcare services available. Minority
rights are normal rights where social, justice, political and economic rights should be provided to
the citizens as they are economically and socially disadvantaged classes. In the egalitarian
societies, minority rights are important, as they are a source of pride to reduce the gap that is
created due to health disparities. Every health right that is given to minorities is a privilege and

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PHILOSOPHY
special rights should be given to them that work against the blatant inequality between common
people and minorities. Special rights are given to minorities are justified as they have
experienced institutional injustice in the past like native Americas or American blacks. They are
entitled to core healthcare services by the government, as they were disowned in the past and
experienced unfair treatment (Buchanan, 1984). Stigma and discrimination that encircle minority
population predisposed them to unjust harm that had exposed them to health risks like burden of
chronic diseases and mental disorders. Neurological damage is also caused because of racism
and discrimination as they are denied rights to healthcare services as compared to common
people.
The content of right to decent minimum is extensive and justified on grounds of
protecting the citizenry of minorities so that they are socially included and enjoy mainstream
healthcare services. These kinds of health services and rights have major advantages as it reduces
the morbidity and mortality rates among minorities thereby reducing the burden of disease. The
moral justification for this statement is that decent minimum of healthcare is an essential core
element that rests up on protection of unjust harm experienced by minorities (Fisher, 2009).
The author also provided arguments for enforced beneficence where legal entitlement to
decent minimum healthcare is strengthened by this ethical principle. Beneficence recognizes the
fact public good where every individual are entitled to equal access to healthcare services to
overcome the discrimination and racism that is experienced by minorities. In the society, there is
a moral obligation of beneficence to the people in need and the knowledge and resources should
improve their health and ameliorate the negative health effects that emerged because of
institutional racism. There is a need to maximize beneficent pulses as outlined by libertarians to
provide comfort and healthcare to the needy giving germinal seed of hope in dire consequences.

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PHILOSOPHY
Every individual should recognize their moral duty to contribute to help others and stay
motivated to be able to act on the duty of beneficence. This ethical principle rightly guides that
every individual should rationally contribute and help people in need like minorities (Buchanan,
1984).
From the above discussion, I believe and support the author’s viewpoint of entitling
special rights to minorities contributing to decent minimum right to health and abiding to
principle of beneficence. Self-interest and motivation is required in every individual so that they
help minorities in leading a normal life and perform effective beneficence supporting the first
argument stated by the author. Therefore, first argument concludes that enforced beneficence
principle can be advocated if decent minimum healthcare is provided to minorities through
coordinated efforts.

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PHILOSOPHY
References
Buchanan, A. E. (1984). The right to a decent minimum of health care. Philosophy & Public
Affairs, 55-78.
Fisher, J. (2009). Biomedical ethics: A Canadian focus.