Is the choice not to know compatible with the exercise of autonomy? more

Can the principle of respect for personal autonomy be the foundation of the right not to know in medical ethics? According to the incoherence objection, the right not to know information that is made available via genetic testing cannot be justified on the basis of the principle of respect for personal autonomy, because not knowing undermines the exercise of autonomy. To assess this objection, I distinguish two aspects of autonomy and compare knowledge of one’s genetic information with the discovery of one’s biases in deliberation. I conclude that the incoherence objection in its present form fails. Although there is tension between not knowing one’s biases in deliberation and choosing autonomously, there seems to be no obvious tension between not knowing information about oneself that is made available via genetic testing and choosing autonomously.