{
  "abstract": "Contemporary Western bioethics, informed by liberalism and utilitarianism, has developed alongside a proactive, interventionist model of medicine marked by the assumption that every illness has a cure and that pain is unnecessary. In contrast, medical practice in much of Asia reflects different philosophical roots. One of these, Daoism, embraces a very different attitude towards medical intervention. Within Daoist philosophy, the unique understanding of naturalness or spontaneity (ziran, 自然) helps illuminate some anti-interventionist trends within medical practice in parts of Asia historically influenced by this tradition. We illustrate this through the relatively low uptake of epidural use among expectant mothers in Japan.",
  "authors": [
    {
      "affiliations": [
        "Centre for Biomedical Ethics, Yong Loo Lin School of Medicine, National University of Singapore, Singapore"
      ],
      "name": "Kathryn Muyskens"
    },
    {
      "affiliations": [
        "Centre for Biomedical Ethics, Yong Loo Lin School of Medicine, National University of Singapore, Singapore"
      ],
      "name": "Alexa Nord-Bronzyk"
    },
    {
      "affiliations": [
        "Centre for Biomedical Ethics, Yong Loo Lin School of Medicine, National University of Singapore, Singapore",
        "Department of Biomedical Ethics, University of Tokyo, Graduate School of Medicine, Tokyo, Japan",
        "Bioethics and Humanities Department, University of Washington School of Medicine, Seattle, WA, USA"
      ],
      "name": "Shizuko Takahashi"
    }
  ],
  "title": "Ziran (自然): the Daoist concept of naturalness, non-intervention and gentle medicine",
  "uid": "e109bcaf-2174-5e15-ae00-bf535dd90e20"
}