By Bert Olivier at Brownstone dot org.

Is the Hippocratic Oath, which dates back to antiquity, relevant today? Most reasonably informed people would know that it is an oath pertaining to a code of conduct, formulated by Hippocrates of Kos in fifth century BCE ancient Greece, to guide medical practitioners ethically - that is, concerning their actions in the practice of their medical profession.

There is a classical version, dating back to the time of Hippocrates, and a modern version, written in 1964, both of which may be found here, together with a discussion of its contemporary relevance.

The discussion focuses on two things - first, the fact that at present, in the United States, most graduating medical students perform some (usually modernised) form of the oath, confirming the continued belief that it constitutes an affirmation of the desirable ethical conduct of physicians, and second, the accompanying, and perhaps surprising phenomenon, that in many quarters the continued relevance of this time-honoured code of action has lately been questioned.

On the one hand, this tendency is understandable. After all, the world in which we live is incalculably more complex than that of the fifth century before the Common Era. As will be seen in the article linked above, this is the reason why many people have argued, from different perspectives, that the Hippocratic Oath is no longer applicable to the conduct of medical professionals today. According to them, it is simply impossible to accommodate its tenets in a world where:

…a growing number of physicians have come to feel that the Hippocratic Oath is inadequate to address the realities of a medical world that has witnessed huge scientific, economic, political, and social changes, a world of legalized abortion, physician-assisted suicide, and pestilences unheard of in Hippocrates' time.

On the other hand, however, in light of the discernible intention behind the original oath - namely, to provide binding guidelines for physicians regarding their conduct when treating patients - one might argue that what might be called the 'spirit' of the Hippocratic Oath be preserved in the context of the admittedly very different world of today, even while keeping this difference in mind.

This amounts to the insistence that avoiding harm to those in need of medical treatment be reaffirmed as being imperative. (Today, one may justifiably add 'pharmaceutical treatment,' given physicians' dependence on the products of this industry.)

Arguably, this consideration is what has motivated medical schools to retain a version of this oath for graduating medical students to take. Here are two versions of the Hippocratic Oath - the 'classical' one and a modern version, which should be kept in mind when reflecting on their relevance for today:

Hippocratic Oath - Classic:

I swear by Apollo the physician, and Asclepius the surgeon, likewise Hygeia and Panacea, and call all the gods and goddesses to witness, that I will observe and keep this underwritten oath, to the utmost of my power and judgment.

I will reverence my master who taught me the art. Equally with my parents, will I allow him things necessary for his support, and will consider his sons as brothers. I will teach them my art without reward or agreement; and I will impart all my acquirement, instructions, and whatever I know, to my master's children, as to my own; and likewise to all my pupils, who shall bind and tie themselves by a professional oath, but to none else.

With regard to healing the sick, I will devise and order for them the best diet, according to my judgment and means; and I will take care that they suffer no hurt or damage. Nor shall any man's entreaty prevail upon me to administer poison to anyone; neither will I counsel any man to do so. Moreover, I will give no sort of medicine to any pregnant woman, with a view to destroy the child. Further, I will comport myself and use my knowledge in a godly manner.

I will not cut for the sto...