Taking Issue

Baruch A. Brody has often taken issue with conventional bioethical wisdom and challenged the rigid principalism of contemporary bioethics. A pioneer in the theory of pluralistic casuistry, his views have been seen as controversial but they are firmly held, eloquently presented, and convincingly argued -- all of which have led him to be one of the most widely discussed and highly admired bioethicists of our time. sWhen it comes to morality as it is practiced in medicine, Brody makes clear that the ethical issues are never as simple as black and white -- that there are myriad factors and fine nuances that can and should challenge decision making as it is commonly practiced in difficult medical cases. In this collection, delving thoughtfully and systematically into methodology, research ethics, clinical ethics, and Jewish medical ethics, he tackles thorny life-and-death questions head-on and fearlessly. He casts a light into all the corners of end-of-life decisions -- a field in which he has exemplary credentials -- while illuminating a new understanding of morality and ethics. sNo one interested in the field of bioethics or the philosophy of medicine can ignore the significant contributions or the moral challenges that Brody brings to any discussion of the important issues to be found in medical ethics. Book jacket.

Baruch A. Brody is the Leon Jaworski Professor of Biomedical Ethics and director of the Center for Medical Ethics and Health Policy at Baylor College of Medicine. He is also a professor of philosophy at Rice University and director of the Ethics program at the Methodist Hospital