Which ethical principle is demonstrated when an adult child is legally given the right to make medical decisions for a cognitively impaired parent?

Paternalism occurs when one person overrides another's autonomy and makes decisions on their behalf, justified by the belief that it serves the person's best interests. When a court or legal mechanism grants an adult child the authority to make medical decisions for a cognitively impaired parent, the parent's capacity for self-determination has been superseded by another party acting in what is deemed the parent's best interest — the defining feature of paternalism. Justice refers to fair and equitable distribution of resources and treatment. Fidelity is the principle of keeping promises and honoring commitments to clients. Beneficence means acting in ways that benefit the client and promote well-being, but it does not specifically describe the transfer of decision-making authority from one person to another. While beneficence may be the motivation behind a paternalistic action, beneficence alone does not capture the legal delegation of decision-making rights. The scenario specifically involves a legal mechanism removing autonomy and granting it to another party, which is the hallmark of paternalism rather than any of the other listed principles. Students often confuse paternalism with beneficence because both involve promoting welfare, but paternalism uniquely involves overriding or substituting another's autonomous choices.