HOSPITAL SYSTEM, ECOLOGICAL TRANSITION AND BIOETHICS: RETHINKING THE QUESTION OF AUTONOMY

Abstract

Modern hospitals are major sources of pollution due to their high energy consumption, significant waste production, and increasing digital data flows. Their functioning is largely shaped by a liberal model centered on individual autonomy and patient satisfaction, which poses a major obstacle to ecological transition. A profound shift in values is needed. Bioethics, often invoked to guide hospital practices, is itself grounded in individualistic principles. However, revisiting its origins—particularly in the works of Potter and Jahr—reveals an integrative, relational, and ecological ethical framework based on human interdependence and respect for all living beings.
Reviving this forgotten strand of bioethics could provide the foundation for a truly sustainable transformation of healthcare institutions.