Contemporary Biomedical Ethics

Abstract

THE resurgence of biomedical ethics has been a striking phenomenon of the past decade. Although ethics has, of course, always had a role in the practice of medicine, only in recent years has it become a subject of intense interest and controversy. Moreover, this interest has affected a variety of other fields as well, in particular, philosophy, religion, the social sciences, and law. The superficial reasons for the fresh interest are obvious and need not be elaborated on. Seen narrowly, they include a variety of difficult moral dilemmas facing medical practitioners, patients, and the health-care delivery system. Seen broadly, they . . .