Zur moralischen Dimension von Spiritualität im Gesundheitswesen: Eine ethische Perspektive auf Spiritual-Care-Diskurse

Abstract

International consensus definitions of spirituality in health care show that the concept of spirituality is defined by reference to certain moral goods which are interpreted as spiritual goods. This allows to interpret the specific vagueness of the concept of spirituality in light of ethical theories: The concept refers on a formal level to the general idea of human moral striving and at once is used to designate certain material moral goods. We discuss the danger of an implicit paternalism of spiritual care this might lead to and in how far this danger can be defused with the help of an understanding of spirituality as a mere capability (Nussbaum).