Principles of biomedical ethics / Tom L. Beauchamp and James F. Childress

Part I. Moral foundations. Moral norms. Normative and nonnormative ethics ; The common morality as universal morality ; Particular moralities as nonuniversal ; Moral dilemmas ; A framework of moral norms ; Conflicting moral norms
Moral character. The concept of moral virtue ; Virtues in professional roles ; The virtue of caring ; Five focal virtues ; Moral ideals ; Moral excellence
Moral status. The problem of moral status ; Theories of moral status ; From theories to practical guidelines ; The moral significance of moral status ; Vulnerable populations and vulnerable individuals
Part II. Moral principles. Respect for autonomy. The concept of autonomy and the principle of respect for autonomy ; The capacity for autonomous choice ; The meaning and justification of informed consent ; Disclosure ; Understanding ; Voluntariness
Nonmaleficence. The concept of nonmaleficence and the principle of nonmaleficence ; Distinctions and rules governing nontreatment ; Optional treatments and obligatory treatments ; Killing and letting die ; The justification of intentionally arranged deaths ; Problems of group harm ; Protecting incompetent patients
Beneficence. The concept of beneficence and principles of beneficence ; Obligatory beneficence and ideal beneficence ; Paternalism : conflicts between beneficence and respect for autonomy ; Balancing benefits, costs, and risks ; The value and quality of life
Justice. The concept of justice and principles of justice ; Traditional theories of justice ; Recent theories of justice ; Fair opportunity and unfair discrimination ; Vulnerability, exploitation, and discrimination in research ; National health policy and the right to health care ; Global health policy and the right to health ; Allocating, setting priorities, and rationing
Professional-patient relationships. Veracity ; Privacy ; Confidentiality ; Fidelity ; Clinical ethics and research ethics ; The dual roles of clinician and investigator
Part III. Theory and method. Moral theories. Criteria for assessing moral theories ; Utilitarian theory ; Kantian theory ; Rights theory ; Virtue theory ; Convergence of theories
Method and moral justification. Justification in ethics ; Top-down models : theory and application ; Bottom-up models : cases and analogical reasoning ; Reflective equilibrium as an integrated model ; Common-morality theory

"Building on the best-selling tradition of previous editions, Principles of Biomedical Ethics, Seventh Edition, provides a highly original, practical, and insightful guide to morality in the health professions. Acclaimed authors Tom L. Beauchamp and James F. Childress thoroughly develop and advocate for four principles that lie at the core of moral reasoning in health care: respect for autonomy, nonmaleficence, beneficence, and justice. Drawing from contemporary research--and integrating detailed case studies and vivid real-life examples and scenarios--they demonstrate how these prima facie principles can be expanded to apply to various conflicts and dilemmas, from how to deliver bad news to whether or not to withhold or withdraw life-sustaining treatments. Illuminating both theory and method throughout, Principles of Biomedical Ethics, Seventh Edition, considers what constitutes moral character and addresses the problem of moral status: what rights are due to people and animals, and when. It also examines the professional-patient relationship, surveys major philosophical theories--including utilitarianism, Kantianism, rights theory, and virtue theory--and describes methods of moral justification in bioethics. Ideal for courses in biomedical ethics, bioethics, and health care ethics, the text is enhanced by hundreds of annotated citations and a substantial introduction that clarifies key terms and concepts. New to the seventh edition Ch. 1: A clarified and more concise treatment of the common morality and its distinction from both particular moralities and the broad descriptive use of the term "morality" Ch. 3: New sections on degrees of moral status and the moral significance of moral status Ch. 4: A revised section on the therapeutic use of placebos and expanded coverage of theories of autonomy and information-processing issues Ch. 5: New material on historical problems of underprotection and recent problems of overprotection in human subjects research Ch. 6: A new section on expanded access and continued access in research and a relocated and integrated discussion of surrogate decision making for incompetent patients Ch. 7: A distinction between traditional theories of justice and more recent theories like capabilities and well-being Ch. 8: A new section on clinical ethics and research ethics Ch. 9: A whole new section on virtue theory, which expands the account from Ch. 2 of the previous edition, and on rights theory Ch. 10: An extended and more in-depth discussion of the authors' theory of method and justification in bioethics. A new Companion Website at www.oup.com/us/beauchamp featuring suggestions for effectively using the book in the classroom, possible syllabi and examination questions, additional readings, useful exercises, and cases for discussion"-- Provided by publisher

eng.