Which of the following is one of the four basic bioethical principles?

• A. Fidelity
• B. Privacy
• C. Justice
• D. Compassion

Answer: (C)

Justice in bioethics means fairness in how benefits and burdens are distributed and in how decisions are applied, ensuring impartiality and equitable treatment for all. In the widely used four-principles framework, the four principles are autonomy, beneficence, nonmaleficence, and justice. Justice guides decisions about who should receive care, who bears costs or risks, and how scarce resources are allocated, aiming to prevent unfair advantages or discrimination.

Fidelity centers on keeping promises and maintaining trust in the patient-provider relationship, privacy focuses on protecting patient confidentiality (an autonomy-related concern), and compassion is a virtue that guides compassionate care but is not one of the formal four principles. Thus, justice fits as one of the canonical bioethical principles.