Overview

The years since the late 1950s have spawned public debate on medical ethical issues ranging from abortion, terminating life-sustaining care, and euthanasia to informed consent, the just allocation of medical resources, and surrogate motherhood. Yet for all the increased attention focused on these issues, there has been no consensus on their resolution. Ezekiel Emanuel, who is trained as both a physician and a political theorist, rejects the claim that most of these medical ethical dilemmas are created by the recent advances in medical technology; he maintains instead that the seemingly endless debates are the inevitable consequence of liberal political values. He proposes an alternative ideology, a liberal communitarianism which imagines a federation of political communities dedicated to democratic deliberations to guide the formulation of laws and policies. Emanuel outlines six conceptions of the ""good life"" that involve different views of medical ethics, pointing out that choosing among them violates the liberal tenet of neutrality. A further problem lies in the fact that although almost no one believes the current U.S health system is just or excellent, we cannot agreee on a national health care program. He describes his own solution, showing that the communitarian vision is compatible with many characteristics of the American medical system and can provide an ethical framework for resolving these pressing medical ethical issues. It is aimed at physicians, medical ethicists, political philosophers, and students of public policy. It should also interest general readers concerned with the major medical and ethical problems confronting society.

Full Product Details

Author:   Ezekiel J. Emanuel
Publisher:   Harvard University Press
Imprint:   Harvard University Press
Dimensions:   Width: 15.80cm , Height: 2.70cm , Length: 24.20cm
Weight:   0.600kg
ISBN:  

9780674253254

ISBN 10:   0674253256
Pages:   320
Publication Date:   01 February 1992
Audience:   General/trade ,  College/higher education ,  Professional and scholarly ,  General ,  Undergraduate
Format:   Hardback
Publisher's Status:   Out of Print
Availability:   Out of stock  

Table of Contents

Introduction: the question of medical ethics. Part 1 The political conception of medical ethics: technology and medical ethics; the ethical dimension of professions; the ethical dimension of medicine; medical ethics and political philosophy; implications of the political conception; the irresolution of medical ethical questions. Part 2 The nature of liberal political philosophy: two forms of liberalism; the tenets of political liberalism. Part 3 Terminating medical care for incompetent patients: the right to refuse medical care; the insignificance of who decides; the relativity of extraordinary care; the impossibility of substituted judgments; the indeterminacy of best interests; illiberal resolutions to the problem of terminating care; the ill effects of irresolution. Part 4 The just distribution of medical resources: justice and health care policy; the inadequacy of the right to equal access; unjustified lists of basic medical services; the weakness of the liberal opportunity criterion; hypothetical choice procedures and conceptions of the good life; the last hope - democratic political procedures; the costs of not specifying basic medical services. Part 5 The liberal communitarian vision: background tenets for political philosophy; the ideal of liberal communitarianism; the conception of deliberation; the conception of a person; political rights and goods; a federated system; liberal and communitarian facets. Part 6 A liberal communitarian vision of health care: the basic structure of community health programs; justification of CHPs; philosophical plausibility of CHPs; political practicality of CHPs; objections considered. Conclusion - medical ethics for the physician.

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