Waiver or understanding? A dilemma for autonomists about informed consent

Waiver or understanding? A dilemma for autonomists about informed consent

Abstract: This paper develops a novel argument to show that prospective research subjects can validly consent to participate in a study without understanding (most of) the content of the required disclosure. Its point of departure is the right subjects standardly have to waive (most of) the investigator’s duty to disclose. Things get worse for autonomy based defences of informed consent because this right to waive is very well grounded in an individual’s autonomy.

Speaker: Professor Gopal Sreenivasan (Crown University Distinguished Professor in Ethics, Duke University).

The New St Cross Special Ethics Seminars are jointly organised by the Oxford Uehiro Centre and the Wellcome Centre for Ethics and Humanities.