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

Includes bibliographical references and index.

Part I. Moral Foundations -- 1. Moral Norms -- 2. Moral Character -- 3. Moral Status -- Part II. Moral Principles -- 4. Respect for Autonomy -- 5. Nonmaleficence -- 6. Beneficence -- 7. Justice -- 8. Professional-Patient Relationships -- Part III. Theory and Method -- 9. Moral Theories -- 10. Method and Moral -- --

Part I. Moral Foundations -- -- 1. Moral Norms -- Normative and Nonnormative Ethics -- The Common Morality as Universal Morality -- Part icular. Moralities as Nonuniversal -- Moral Dilemmas -- A Framework of Moral Norms -- Conflicting Moral Norms -- Conclusion -- -- 2. Moral Character -- Moral Virtues -- Virtues in Professional Roles -- The Virtue of Caring -- Five Focal Virtues -- Moral Virtues and Action Guides -- Moral Ideals -- Moral Excellence -- Conclusion -- -- 3. Moral Status -- The Problem of Moral Status -- Theories of Moral Status -- From Theories to Practical Guidelines -- Vulnerable Populations -- Conclusion -- -- Part II. Moral Principles -- -- 4. Respect for Autonomy -- The Nature of Autonomy -- The Capacity for Autonomous Choice -- The Meaning and Justification of Informed Consent -- Disclosure -- Understanding -- Voluntariness -- A Framework of Standards for Surrogate Decision Making -- Conclusion -- -- 5. Nonmaleficence -- The Concept of Nonmaleficence -- Distinctions and Rules Governing Nontreatment -- Optional Treatments and Obligatory Treatments -- Killing and Letting Die -- The Justification of Intentionally Arranged Deaths -- Protecting Incompetent Patients -- Conclusion -- -- 6. Beneficence -- The Concept of Beneficence -- Obligatory Beneficence and Ideal Beneficence -- Paternalism: Conflicts between Beneficence and Autonomy -- Balancing Benefits, Costs, and Risks -- The Value and Quality of Life -- Conclusion -- -- 7. Justice -- The Concept of Justice -- Theories of Justice -- Fair Opportunity and Unfair Discrimination -- Vulnerability and Exploitation -- National Health -- Policy and the Right to Health Care -- Global Health Policy and the Right to Health -- Allocating, Setting Priorities, and Rationing -- Conclusion -- -- 8. Professional-Patient Relationships -- Veracity -- Privacy -- Confidentiality -- Fidelity -- The Dual Roles of Clinician and Investigator -- Conclusion -- -- Part III. Theory and Method -- -- 9. Moral Theories -- Criteria for Theory Construction -- Utilitarianism -- Kantianism -- Rights Theory -- Communitarianism -- Convergence of Theories -- Conclusion -- 10. Method and Moral -- Justification -- Justification in Ethics -- Top-Down Models: Theory and Application -- Bottom-Up Models: Cases and Analogy -- An Integrated Model Using Reflective Equilibrium -- Common-Morality Theory -- Conclusion -- Index.

"This edition represents a thorough-going revision of what has become a classic text in biomedical ethics. Major structural changes mark the revision. The authors have added a new concluding chapter on methods that, along with its companion chapter on moral theory, emphasizes convergence across theories, coherence in moral justification, and the common morality. They have simplified the opening chapter on moral norms which introduces the framework of prima facie moral principles and ways to specify and balance them. Together with the shift of advanced material on theory to the back of the book, this heavily revised introductory chapter will make it easier for the wide range of students entering bioethics courses to use this text. Another important change is the increased emphasis on character and moral agency, drawing the distinction between agents and actions. The sections on truth telling, disclosure of bad news, privacy, conflicts of interest, and research on human subjects have also been thoroughly reworked. The four core chapters on principles (respect for autonomy, nonmaleficence, beneficence, and justice) and the chapter on professional-patient relationships retain their familiar structure, but the authors have completely updated their content to reflect developments in philosophical analysis as well as in research, medicine, and health care. Throughout, they have used a number of actual cases to illuminate and to test their theory, method, and framework of principles. "--Publisher's website.

Machine converted from AACR2 source record.