Medical Ethics, Ordinary Concepts and Ordinary Lives

Mainstream discussions of ethics often search for a problem-solving theory or explore ontological status. This book argues instead that the proper starting point should be the words and deeds of ordinary people in ordinary disagreements - the ethical concepts in play can only derive full meaning within the context of ordinary human lives.

Autorentext
Christopher Cowley is Lecturer in Philosophy at University College Dublin, Ireland.

Inhalt
Introduction PART I: A CRITIQUE OF MAINSTREAM MEDICAL ETHICS Technical Language and Ordinary Language? Ethical Reasoning and Perception PART II - MATTERS OF BIRTH AND LIFE The Place of Pregnancy and Birth in Human Lives The Clash of Perspectives The Abortion Debates The Shape of Life PART III: MATTERS OF LIFE AND DEATH The Problem of Suicide Making Sense of Dementia Human Bodies The Euthanasia Debates The Euthanasia Debate(s) Bibliography