Volume 11
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Volume 11
The Battle for Innate: A
Perspective on Fundamentalism in Chiropractic Various chiropractic organizations
and individuals contribute to make chiropractic a “construct of confusion” in
the minds of those who have the power to grant access to resources and legally
sanctioned privileges. However, what is the source of this seemingly dichotomous
dilemma? The perception of a spectrum that spans the profession and its beliefs
from far left to far right, dispels a distinct separation between belief model A
and belief model B and allows for the spreading of thought across a broad range.
“Straights” and “mixers” are tags of the past and may not be appropriate to
apply in the dispersion of beliefs and practice patterns today. As this internal
conflict continues to thrive in the profession, its source must be sought as a
step toward resolution.
The Nature of Morality and its
Implications for Chiropractic Educators in Ethics It is well known that chiropractic
colleges teach ethics and professional responsibility to chiropractic students.
Casual observation shows faculty members and college administrators share
frustration over the anxiety and hours of work devoted to students that violate
these expectations. Although it is clear that chiropractic students are taught
to behave in an ethical manner, on what moral ground is this message given? The
answer to this question is currently unknown. This article compares ethical
relativism, the notion that there are no universal moral principles that
transcend culture and personal interpretations, with ethical objectivism, the
philosophical opposite of relativism. It seems that if chiropractic educators
are to insist on ethical behavior, an understanding of these two ethical
theories is necessary for explaining why students ought to behave in certain
ways. Since objectivism seems to be the superior ethical system, codes of ethics
based on objectivism carry more force than just institutional power, giving
students immersed in relativism prior to chiropractic college a robust reason
why they ought to be ethical.
Advancing the Philosophy of
Chiropractic: Advocating Virtue A practitioner using his or her
patients as a means to furthering personal goals and objectives is at risk for
violating professional standards and the principles of professionalism. How
students’ ethics and principles are developed carries into practice, thus we
should advocate for the inclusion of the virtues of care as a critical aspect of
chiropractic practice in educational programs. This paper discusses the
influence of moral relativism on professional students.
John V. Whaley: The Don Quixote of
Illinois Chiropractic Having experienced recovery from
asthma and allergies following chiropractic care, Dr. John Whaley became a
chiropractor in 1951. He became a spokesman for chiropractors suffering from
legal charges of practicing medicine without a license in the state of Illinois
and was a political activist in the state to get chiropractors licensed. A
controversial figure, Dr. Whaley made numerous attempts to better chiropractic
in his own unique way.
The Subluxation Syndrome: A
Condition Whose Time Has Come? Controversy surrounds the use of the
term ‘subluxation’ within the chiropractic profession. This paper suggests that
doctors of chiropractic should develop an evidence base that focuses on the
clinical entities that are treated in clinical practice. Such effort might
include documenting common locally symptomatic subluxations in each joint region
and subluxations that cause more distant neurophysiological effects.
Hippocrates on Ethical Practice
Management In today’s society, it seems that
there is a tension between successful practice management and ethical practice
behavior. The doctor-patient relationship that is based on trust should be
esteemed and preserved in our society. We should consider dedicating ourselves
to the preservation of a trusted doctor-patient relationship. |
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Editor in Chief: Claire Johnson, MSEd, DC Send email to Claire Johnson, MSEd, DC
with questions or comments about this web site.
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