A Theory of Bioethics

Description

This volume offers a carefully argued, compelling theory of bioethics while eliciting practical implications for a wide array of issues including medical assistance-in-dying, the right to health care, abortion, animal research, and the definition of death. The authors' dual-value theory features mid-level principles, a distinctive model of moral status, a subjective account of well-being, and a cosmopolitan view of global justice. In addition to ethical theory, the book investigates the nature of harm and autonomous action, personal identity theory, and the 'non-identity problem' associated with many procreative decisions. Readers new to particular topics will benefit from helpful introductions, specialists will appreciate in-depth theoretical explorations and a novel take on various practical issues, and all readers will benefit from the book's original synoptic vision of bioethics. This title is also available as Open Access on Cambridge Core.

David DeGrazia is Elton Professor of Philosophy at George Washington University. In addition to several books, including Taking Animals Seriously (Cambridge University Press, 1996), Human Identity and Bioethics (Cambridge University Press, 2005) and Creation Ethics (2012), he has written numerous book chapters and journal articles on applied ethics, moral philosophy, and the philosophy of mind and cognitive sciences. Joseph Millum is a bioethicist at the US National Institutes of Health. He is author of The Moral Foundations of Parenthood (2018) and co-editor of Global Health Priority-setting (2020). His research, which has appeared in journals including The BMJ and Ethics, focuses on consent, international research ethics, priority-setting for health care and research, and parenting.

'DeGrazia and Millum are distinguished philosophers who, in this superb book, develop and defend a pluralistic ethical theory that is respectful of common sense moral beliefs without being subservient to them. They test and refine the theory by exploring its implications for a variety of controversial issues and, in the process, substantially advance our understanding of numerous bioethical problems. They are never dogmatic. Their lucidly written book instead provides much-needed guidance for careful moral reflection on issues of the greatest importance.' Jeff McMahan, White's Professor of Moral Philosophy, University of Oxford 'For too long, bioethics has been in the thrall of the four principles of autonomy, beneficience, non-maleficence and justice. With a broader philosophical perspective and more rigorous analysis, DeGrazia and Millum bring bioethics into the 21st century. They integrate a richer understanding of ethics, including well-being and non-identity, with application to a wider range of the most pressing bioethical issues of the day, such as how we should treat animals, fetuses, and enhancements. This book is a much needed advance for bioethics.' Ezekiel J. Emmanuel M.D., Ph.D. 'well worth reading for its in-depth discussions of many theoretical and practical issues.' Bonnie Steinbock, Bioethics