Dictionary:

beneficence

  (bə-nĕf'ĭ-səns)

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1. The state or quality of being kind, charitable, or beneficial.
2. A charitable act or gift.

[Latin beneficentia, from beneficus, beneficent-, benefic. See benefic.]

noun

1. Kindly, charitable interest in others: altruism, benevolence, benignancy, benignity, charitableness, charity, goodwill, grace, kindheartedness, kindliness, kindness, philanthropy. See attitude/good attitude/bad attitude/neutral attitude, kind/cruel.
2. Something given to a charity or cause: alms, benefaction, charity, contribution, donation, gift, handout, offering, subscription. See give/take/reciprocity.
3. A charitable deed: benefaction, benevolence, benignity, favor, kindliness, kindness, oblation, office (often used in plural), philanthropy. See give/take/reciprocity, kind/cruel.

In public health, the governing ethical theory is utilitarianism, meaning "doing the greatest good for the largest number of people." Beneficence is strongly tied to the utilitarian theory of ethics. It is one of four principles considered in medicine and public health under the principle-based approach to ethical analysis. The other three principles are: respect for autonomy, nonmaleficence, and distributive justice. Beneficence is the professional duty to do or produce good. By "good" is meant the performance of acts of kindness and charity. "Doing good" is considered virtuous conduct. Ultimately, beneficence is the duty to do more good than harm through public health actions because, in practice, no action in public health will have exclusively beneficial effects. For example, if a public health agency becomes aware of a person infected with a bacterium that could be spread through the air, then, there is, on the one hand, a duty to respect the person's right to confidentiality and freedom of movement. But, on the other hand, there is a greater duty to prevent the spread of the bacterium to other people. Thus, more good would be achieved by protecting the public health, which can be accomplished only by breaching the duty to maintain the infected person's confidentiality and freedom of movement. Such breaches would occur only to reduce the risk associated with permitting the infectious person to put others at risk of infection (e.g., through quarantine or confinement, with a consequent loss of privacy in terms of the diagnosis). The ethical dilemma for decision makers in public health lies in weighing the pros and cons between at least two conflicting options: protecting the individual's rights or protecting the public health. Such breaches of an individual's rights are rare in public health and are undertaken only with maximum discretion.

(SEE ALSO: Autonomy; Ethics of Public Health; Nonmaleficence; Paternalism)

Bibliography

Beauchamp T. L., and Childress, J. F. (1994). Principles of Biomedical Ethics, 4th edition. New York: Oxford University Press.

— COLIN L. SOSKOLNE

The noun has 2 meanings:

Meaning #1: doing good; feeling beneficent
  Antonym: maleficence (meaning #1)

Meaning #2: the quality of being kind or helpful or generous
  Antonym: maleficence (meaning #2)

Beneficence: The act of doing good; helping others. (Salus aegroti suprema lex)

With Regard to Medical Ethics, this concept involves the physician making the decisions that are best for the patient, without regard to personal gain or the interests of others. "Do good and avoid evil." Beneficence, defined in this way, is one of the four middle range principles explained by Tom Beauchamp and James Childress in their "Principles of Bioethics".

Benificence statue at Ball State University

Beneficence serves as the logo for Ball State University, located in Muncie, Indiana. It is referred to as "Benny" for short by the students.

In 1930, a small group of men decided to establish a permanent symbol of Muncie and Ball State University's gratitude for the Ball family's extensive generosity.

This group commissioned renowned sculptor Daniel Chester French, who sculpted the statue of Lincoln in the Lincoln Memorial in Washington D.C., and named it Beneficence which he felt aptly described the feelings of the community and the actions of the Ball brothers. Finally erected in the midst of the Great Depression, Beneficence has become a chief icon of the University, and it symbolizes the selflessness of the Ball family in their affection for the community.

Trivia

Campus folklore says that if you kiss your true love at midnight in front of Benny, her wings will flap.

Beneficence has a twin located in the Boston Gardens Park in Boston, Massachusetts. Her twin holds a dish instead of a box.

External links

• The Four Principles of Bioethics (one of which is beneficence) as defined by Britannica
• Ball State University Libraries Digital Media Repository: Campus Photograph Collection Historic photographs of Ball State campus including Beneficence sculpture
• Benny's Story: A History of Beneficence, Ball State University Archives and Special Collections Exhibit on the history of the Beneficence sculpture

Definitions of beneficence:

noun: the quality of being kind or helpful or generous

noun: doing good; feeling beneficent

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