The foundations of bioethics /

Engelhardt (MD, PhD, philosophy) goes beyond earlier work in medical ethics-for the concern is medical rather than broader bioethics-and beyond familiar problems (such as abortion or informed consent) to an examination of philosophical foundations for medical ethics. The failure of any one absolute moral position leads necessarily to secular pluralism, he argues, meaning that different views of what is ``the good'' in medical care must coexist. Both physicians and patients should recognize and tolerate such differences in making tough medical desicions, which may thus vary from person to person. As patients venture into the strange ``medicalized'' land, they should retain a sense of their freedom to make choices and of their autonomy as moral persons, two of the five underlying principles for Engelhardt's ethical system-which sometimes allows such controversial acts as abortion, suicide, fetal research, and infanticide. This thoughtful book should quickly become a standard, even though it painstakingly develops difficult points and will not persuade all readers. It is an exciting and important work that raises critical foundational questions that anyone concerned with medicine should study carefully. Highly recommended.-J. Maienschein, Arizona State University

This book on bioethics offers a useful, relatively detailed discussion of the principles of autonomy, beneficence, justice; of the concepts of personhood, disease, confidentiality; and of issues such as abortion, infanticide, and the allocation of health care. Insofar as the book discusses ethical theory, it is simplistic and uninteresting; the author encumbers himself and us by viewing various things as matters of having a right rather than of doing what is right . Extensive footnotes provide an effective substitute for a bibliography. All things considered, a good overview for non-philosophers. Robert Hoffman, Philosophy Dept., York Coll., CUNY (c) Copyright 2010. Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.