This issue is devoted to the delicate balance of a prominent, now-traditional principle of autonomy with other important values. Today it is a truism that autonomy must be balanced against paternalism. In fact, for most bioethicists, respecting autonomy has triumphed over paternalism as a primary moral duty in healthcare. Yet autonomy must also be weighed against other values such as professionalism, social interests, and of course, the good of the patient; thus our illustration from Paul Klee of a tightrope walker making his cautious way across the wire as he tries to maintain the perfect balance.