Defining Ourselves: Personal Bioinformation as a Tool of Narrative Self-Conception

Journal of Bioethical Inquiry
Emily Postan

Abstract

Where ethical or regulatory questions arise about an individual's interests in accessing bioinformation about herself (such as findings from screening or health research), the value of this information has traditionally been construed in terms of its clinical utility. It is increasingly argued, however, that the "personal utility" of findings should also be taken into account. This article characterizes one particular aspect of personal utility: that derived from the role of personal bioinformation in identity construction. The suggestion that some kinds of information are relevant to identity is not in itself new. However, the account outlined here seeks to advance the debate by proposing a conception of the relationship between bioinformation and identity that does not depend on essentialist assumptions and applies beyond the narrow genetic contexts in which identity is customarily invoked. The proposal is that the identity-value of personal bioinformation may be understood in terms of its instrumental role in the construction of our narrative identities, specifically that its value lies in helping us to develop self-narratives that support us in navigating our embodied existences. I argue that this narrative conception provi...Continue Reading

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Citations

Sep 2, 2019·Health Care Analysis : HCA : Journal of Health Philosophy and Policy·Isabel FletcherAnnie Sorbie
Dec 5, 2019·Medical Anthropology·Alyssa M Newman
Sep 14, 2020·Patient Education and Counseling·Karen M MeagherRichard R Sharp
Dec 25, 2017·Social Science & Medicine·Daniel WieseAllison Hayes-Conroy

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