Principles of Biomedical Ethics

Building on the best-selling tradition of previous editions, Principles ofBiomedical Ethics, Sixth Edition, provides a highly original, practical, andinsightful guide to morality in the health professions. Acclaimed authors Tom L.Beauchamp and James F. Childress thoroughly develop and advocate for fourprinciples that lie at the core of moral reasoning in health care: respect forautonomy, nonmaleficence, beneficence, and justice. Drawing from contemporaryresearch--and integrating detailed case studies and vivid real-life examples andscenarios--they demonstrate how these prima facie principles can be expanded toapply to various conflicts and dilemmas, from how to deliver bad news to whetheror not to withhold or withdraw life-sustaining treatments. Illuminating both theory and method throughout, Principles of BiomedicalEthics, Sixth Edition, considers what constitutes moral character and addressesthe problem of moral status: what rights are due to people and animals, andwhen. It also examines the professional-patient relationship, surveys majorphilosophical theories--including utilitarianism, Kantianism, rights theory, andCommunitarianism--and describes methods of moral justification in bioethics.Ideal for courses in biomedical ethics, bioethics, and health care ethics, thetext is enhanced by hundreds of annotated citations and a substantialintroduction that clarifies key terms and concepts. Features of the Sixth Edition: * Integrates case studies throughout the text, rather than presenting them inan appendix as in previous editions * A new chapter on moral status (Chapter 3) * Extensively revised and expanded material on the theory of the commonmorality (Chapters 1 and 10) * A reworked discussion of the ethics of care as a form of virtue ethics(Chapter 2) * Revised and updated treatments of nonmaleficence and beneficence, which takeinto account recent legal and philosophical literature and discussions (Chapters5 and 6) * A new section on vulnerability and exploitation as it applies to justice(Chapter 7) * A more concise treatment of the principles of biomedical ethics throughoutthe text, featuring developed, refined, and modified perspectives