These are the basic building blocks of an ethics of health.

Beneficence is the principle of doing good with every action.

Non-malfeasance is the principle of avoiding harm if at all possible.

Autonomy is the principle of individual decision-making, respecting the right of each human to make his or her own life choices.

Social justice requires that like cases (of anything) be treated in like manner and that every individual’s right to social justice be respected.

Truth-telling demands that accurate information be available to all participants in any information exchange or decision-making situation.

In the case of health and illness care, these are often seen as being in tension, as it is not always possible to fully act on any one of them without violating another. For example, truth telling may cause harm, and full autonomy for some people leads them to do harm to others.