Principles of Biomedical Ethics

The new sixth edition of Principles of Biomedical Ethics is a welcome event. There is nothing else like it in the field of bioethics. It has easily become over the years the most used, most praised, and most distinguished book in the field. Each edition moves beyond the previous ones in important and nuanced ways. Beauchamp and Childress keep up with the ever-changing terrain of bioethics, and work hard to refine their own arguments. It gets better and better. One can hardly ask for more. Daniel Callahan, Director, International Program, The Hastings Center What is by far the best general book on bioethics has gotten even better. The new material on international justice and virtue ethics is especially valuable. Such a combination of accessibility and rigor is rarely attained. Allen Buchanan, James B. Duke Professor of Philosophy and James B. Duke Professor of Public Policy Studies, Duke University This sixth edition of Principles of Biomedical Ethics reaffirms its undisputed stature as a canonical text for the world's bioethicists. It maintains a standard of scholarship and clarity appealing to neophytes and seasoned scholars, to adherents and critics of its principled approach. It culls the new and the old with precision and adds a new chapter on moral status. Anyone hoping to stay current with the continuing evolution of bioethics must read this update. Edmund D. Pellegrino, Chairman, President's Council on Bioethics The contemporary field of bioethics is unimaginable, absent this text. Principles of Biomedical Ethics provided a paradigmatic approach that shaped the early character of bioethics. It continues to be a source of serious debate regarding the nature of morality and the significance of bioethics. No one can understand the field of bioethics apart from this volume. H. Tristram Engelhardt, Jr., M.D., Professor, Rice University and Baylor College of Medicine Principles of Biomedical Ethics has, over six successive editions, clarified and expanded the concepts, definitions, and arguments that make bioethics a discipline instead of random shards of opinion, sometimes astute, sometimes silly, that pass in the media for ethical commentary on medicine and science. This book is the thesaurus of bioethical discourse. Albert R. Jonsen, Professor Emeritus, Department of Medical History and Ethics, University of Washington The sixth edition of Principles of Biomedical Ethics, which more than any other book has helped to shape the field of biomedical ethics, is even better than the previous five editions. Beauchamp and Childress continue to listen to their critics, of whom I am one, and to change their book accordingly. Although I still have some problems with the theory of principlism, I have nothing but admiration for their comprehensive and detailed discussion of the moral problems that arise in the field of medicine. I plan to use this edition, as I have used previous editions, as one of the primary texts in my course in Philosophy of Medicine. Bernard Gert, Stone Professor of Intellectual and Moral Philosophy, Dartmouth College Every new edition of this classic gets better and better. This is essential reading for all students and scholars of bioethics. Bernard Lo, M.D., Professor of Medicine and Director, Program in Medical Ethics, University of California, San Francisco Principles of Biomedical Ethics is, and continues to be, a tremendous contribution to the bioethics literature. Whether one agrees or disagrees with [the authors'] approach, it is unquestionable that theirs is the predominant means of addressing ethical dilemmas in healthcare in the United States today. Deborah Barnbaum, Kent State University Principles of Biomedical Ethics has the deserved status of a classic in its field. The authors are excellent role models of ethical reasoning for students to emulate. Craig Duncan, Ithaca College The overall quality of Principles of Biomedical Ethics is outstanding. From it, a careful and interested reader can come away with a thorough, in-depth, and consistent understanding of bioethics. The major strength of the book is its firm grounding in theory. In this respect, it stands head and shoulders above any of its competitors. Robert Rothman, Rochester Institute of Technology

• PART I. MORAL FOUNDATIONS ; 1. MORAL NORMS ; Normative and Nonnormative Ethics ; The Common Morality as Universal Morality ; Particular Moralities as Nonuniversal ; Moral Dilemmas ; A Framework of Moral Norms ; Conflicting Moral Norms ; 2. MORAL CHARACTER ; Moral Virtues ; Virtues in Professional Roles ; The Virtue of Caring ; Five Focal Virtues ; Moral Virtues and Action Guides ; Moral Ideals ; Moral Excellence ; 3. MORAL STATUS ; The Problem of Moral Status ; Theories of Moral Status ; From Theories to Practical Guidelines ; Vulnerable Populations ; PART II. MORAL PRINCIPLES ; 4. RESPECT FOR AUTONOMY ; The Nature of Autonomy ; The Capacity for Autonomous Choice ; The Meaning and Justification of Informed Consent ; Disclosure ; Understanding ; Voluntariness ; A Framework of Standards for Surrogate Decision Making ; 5. NONMALEFICENCE ; The Concept of Nonmaleficence ; Distinctions and Rules Governing Nontreatment ; Optional Treatments and Obligatory Treatments ; Killing and Letting Die ; The Justification of Intentionally Arranged Deaths ; Protecting Incompetent Patients ; 6. BENEFICENCE ; The Concept of Beneficence ; Obligatory Beneficence and Ideal Beneficence ; Paternalism: Conflicts Between Beneficence and Autonomy ; Balancing Benefits, Costs, and Risks ; The Value and Quality of Life ; 7. JUSTICE ; The Concept of Justice ; Theories of Justice ; Fair Opportunity and Unfair Discrimination ; Vulnerability and Exploitation ; National Health Policy and the Right to Health Care ; Global Health Policy and the Right to Health ; Allocating, Setting Priorities, and Rationing ; 8. PROFESSIONAL-PATIENT RELATIONSHIPS ; Veracity ; Privacy ; Confidentiality ; Fidelity ; The Dual Roles of Clinician and Investigator ; PART III. THEORY AND METHOD ; 9. MORAL THEORIES ; Criteria for Theory Construction ; Utilitarianism ; Kantianism ; Rights Theory ; Communitarianism ; Convergence of Theories ; 10. METHOD AND MORAL JUSTIFICATION ; Justification in Ethics ; Top-Down Models: Theory and Application ; Bottom-Up Models: Cases and Analogy ; An Integrated Model Using Reflective Equilibrium ; Common-Morality Theory ; INDEX