In health ethics, which statement best differentiates autonomy, beneficence, non-maleficence, and justice?

• A. Justice—fair distribution of benefits and burdens.
• B. Autonomy—respect for patient choices.
• C. Beneficence—imposing physician preferences on patients.
• D. Non-maleficence—imposing personal beliefs on patients.

Answer: (A)

The key idea here is how each principle governs a different ethical obligation in health care, and which description most clearly marks the role of justice. Justice is about fair distribution of benefits and burdens across people, focusing on equity in access to care and resources. This sets it apart from autonomy, which is about respecting a patient’s right to make their own decisions; beneficence, which is about promoting the patient’s well-being; and non-maleficence, which is about avoiding harm. The other statements either correctly describe aspects of autonomy or misstate beneficence and non-maleficence by implying imposing preferences or beliefs. So, describing justice as fair distribution best differentiates the four principles.