Methods in Medical Ethics

The first edition of Methods in Medical Ethics provided one of the clearest and most accessible introductions to medical ethics... The new chapter on applications of the multiple methods of medical ethics, focusing on the crucial topic of surrogate decision making, provides a model of excellence in scholarship in the field. The contributors-all leading scholars in the field-have taken Methods in Medical Ethics to the next extraordinary level. I look forward to teaching from it for many years to come. -- Laurence B. McCullough, Dalton Tomlin Chair in Medical Ethics and Health Policy, Center for Medical Ethics and Health Policy, Baylor College of Medicine

Medical ethics draws upon methods from a wide array of disciplines, including anthropology, economics, epidemiology, health services research, history, law, medicine, and theology. In this book, scholars in medical ethics bring these many methods together in one place to be systematically described, critiqued, and challenged.Medical ethics draws upon methods from a wide array of disciplines, including anthropology, economics, epidemiology, health services research, history, law, medicine, nursing, philosophy, psychology, sociology, and theology. In this influential book, outstanding scholars in medical ethics bring these many methods together in one place to be systematically described, critiqued, and challenged. Newly revised and updated chapters in this second edition include philosophy, religion and theology, virtue and professionalism, casuistry and clinical ethics, law, history, qualitative research, ethnography, quantitative surveys, experimental methods, and economics and decision science. This second edition also includes new chapters on literature and sociology, as well as a second chapter on philosophy which expands the range of philosophical methods discussed to include gender ethics, communitarianism, and discourse ethics. In each of these chapters, contributors provide descriptions of the methods, critiques, and notes on resources and training. "Methods in Medical Ethics" is a valuable resource for scholars, teachers, editors, and students in any of the disciplines that have contributed to the field. As a textbook and reference for graduate students and scholars in medical ethics, it offers a rich understanding of the complexities involved in the rigorous investigation of moral questions in medical practice and research.