Biomedical Ethics

by Radest, Howard B.

• ISBN13: 9781591024231
• ISBN10: 1591024234
• Edition: 1st
• Format: Hardcover
• Copyright: 2006-10-30
• Publisher: Prometheus Books

Summary

Biomedical ethics raises a host of humanistic issues. Among these are human dignity, personal autonomy, quality of life, and access to care for all. Now, more than ever, scientific discoveries and medical technologies prompt us to rethink older perspectives. Humanists have an unprecedented opportunity to shape the moral agenda of the future. In this collection of thoughtful articles from the Humanist Institute, humanist scholars from various fields explore a number of critical issues in bioethics. The moral status of the human embryo, scientific medicine versus Eastern concepts of caregiving, the human genome project, eugenics, contraception, and the economics of healthcare are just some of the topics considered in this enlightening volume. The contributors include: Berit Brogaard, Vern Bullough, Carmela Epright, Faith Lagay, Mason Olds, Howard B. Radest, Philip Regal, Andreas S. Rosenberg, Harvey Sarles, David Schafer, Robert B. Tapp, Stephen P. Weldon, and Michael Werner. For students of ethics, healthcare practitioners and policy makers, and everyone who wishes to participate intelligently in decisions involving cure and care, this work is of great value.

Table of Contents

Acknowledgments	9	(2)
Introduction: Humanism and the New Biology
Howard B. Radest	11	(12)
SCIENTIFIC PERSPECTIVES ON BIOETHICS
1. Twenty-first Century Bioethical Problems
Philip Regal	23	(26)
2. Bioscience and the Recovery of Nerve
David Schafer	49	(18)
3. Bioethics of the Germline
Andreas S. Rosenberg	67	(14)
4. The Moral Status of the Human Embryo
Berit Brogaard	81	(10)
5. Exploring the Boundaries Between the Scientific and the Spiritual
Harvey Sarles	91	(18)
EXCURSIONS INTO HISTORY
6. Humanitas and the Human Genome
Faith Lagay	109	(8)
7. Joseph Fletcher Revisited
Mason Olds	117	(22)
8. Eugenics and Biotechnology
Stephen P. Weldon	139	(14)
PUTTING BIOETHICS TO WORK
9. Biology as a Window Into Therapy
Michael Werner	153	(12)
10. Bioethics, Contraception, and Business
Vern L. Bullough	165	(10)
11. Bioethics and Justice
Carmela Epright	175	(14)
12. Rationing is Not a Four Letter Word
Howard B. Radest	189	(18)
13. Poverty, Health, and Bioethics
Robert B. Tapp	207	(14)
ADDENDUM
14. Before and After Schiavo
Carmela Epright	221	(8)
15. Prescription Drugs, Medicare Part D
Kristy Maher	229	(6)
Contributors	235