ABSTRACT
This chapter explores how healthcare workers’ communities of practice draw their culture both from moral theory and from the marketplace. In recent decades, one particular part of the capitalist narrative - market forces - has increasingly dominated Western culture. In this chapter I argue that whilst classic market theory claims to maximise efficiency of production and distribution of services, it is ill-suited to these tasks within a healthcare context. Current trends in healthcare management seek to give precedence to markets, putting stress on the previous adaptive balance between welfare and market forces.
I examine the moral and professional dilemma caused by this philosophical conflict. I argue that the virtuous practitioner will primarily pursue the telos of medicine rather than market forces. This telos will be motivated by compassion and implemented by wise means, whilst paying attention to the polis or social environment of healthcare, as well as the possible excellences of practitioners.
