Medical Ethics, Ordinary Concepts and Ordinary Lives : Ordinary Concepts, Ordinary Lives

Mainstream philosophical discussions of ethics usually involve either a search for a problem-solving theory (such as utilitarianism), or an exploration of ontological status (of things like obligations or reasons). This book will argue that such efforts are often misplaced. Instead, the proper starting point should always be the actual words and deeds of ordinary people in ordinary disagreements; for the ethical concepts in play can only derive their full meaning within the context of ordinary human lives. This will require a better understanding of the 'ordinary', and of what it means to lead a life. Cover......Page 1 Table of Contents......Page 8 Acknowledgements......Page 10 Introduction......Page 12 Part I: A Critique of Mainstream Medical Ethics......Page 18 1 Technical Language and Ordinary Language......Page 20 Fearless thinkers and monstrous thoughts......Page 25 Standing behind one’s words......Page 30 Conceptual revision......Page 35 2 Ways of Seeing......Page 40 The vegetarian and the carnivore......Page 42 Conscientious objection......Page 49 The limits to a philosopher’s authority......Page 55 Part II: Matters of Birth and Life......Page 62 3 The Place of Pregnancy and Birth in Human Lives......Page 64 Creation and flesh......Page 68 The problem with descriptions......Page 72 Learning to love......Page 77 4 The Clash of Perspectives......Page 82 Individuals and uniqueness......Page 85 Responses to Warnock, Harris and Glover......Page 87 The paradox of non-directive counselling......Page 94 Resource allocation and the clash of perspectives......Page 99 5 The Abortion Debates......Page 103 Arbitrariness and potential......Page 105 Women and mothers......Page 109 Attitudes to life......Page 111 Proximity and authority......Page 117 6 The Shape of a Life......Page 121 Dialogue......Page 125 Momentous decisions......Page 129 The change in the person......Page 133 Old age as the last chapter in the story......Page 136 Part III: Matters of Life and Death......Page 140 7 The Problem of Suicide......Page 142 Horror and pity......Page 146 Diane Pretty......Page 153 The ethics of palliative care......Page 158 8 Making Sense of Dementia......Page 165 The problem of personal identity......Page 167 Fear, pity and mockery......Page 171 9 Human Bodies......Page 178 The Alder Hey scandal......Page 186 The post mortem......Page 190 10 The Euthanasia Debates......Page 194 Futility, best interests and arbitrariness......Page 199 Implications of Keown’s position......Page 203 The symbolic and the regulatory role of the law......Page 206 Notes......Page 210 Bibliography......Page 215 D......Page 218 L......Page 219 R......Page 220 W......Page 221 Cover 1 Table of Contents 8 Acknowledgements 10 Introduction 12 Part I: A Critique of Mainstream Medical Ethics 18 1 Technical Language and Ordinary Language 20 Fearless thinkers and monstrous thoughts 25 Standing behind one’s words 30 Conceptual revision 35 2 Ways of Seeing 40 The vegetarian and the carnivore 42 Conscientious objection 49 The limits to a philosopher’s authority 55 Part II: Matters of Birth and Life 62 3 The Place of Pregnancy and Birth in Human Lives 64 Creation and flesh 68 The problem with descriptions 72 Learning to love 77 4 The Clash of Perspectives 82 Individuals and uniqueness 85 Responses to Warnock, Harris and Glover 87 The paradox of non-directive counselling 94 Resource allocation and the clash of perspectives 99 5 The Abortion Debates 103 Arbitrariness and potential 105 Women and mothers 109 Attitudes to life 111 Proximity and authority 117 6 The Shape of a Life 121 Dialogue 125 Momentous decisions 129 The change in the person 133 Old age as the last chapter in the story 136 Part III: Matters of Life and Death 140 7 The Problem of Suicide 142 Horror and pity 146 Diane Pretty 153 The ethics of palliative care 158 8 Making Sense of Dementia 165 The problem of personal identity 167 Fear, pity and mockery 171 9 Human Bodies 178 The Alder Hey scandal 186 The post mortem 190 10 The Euthanasia Debates 194 Futility, best interests and arbitrariness 199 Implications of Keown’s position 203 The symbolic and the regulatory role of the law 206 Notes 210 Bibliography 215 Index 218 A 218 B 218 C 218 D 218 E 219 F 219 G 219 H 219 I 219 J 219 K 219 L 219 M 220 N 220 O 220 P 220 Q 220 R 220 S 221 T 221 U 221 V 221 W 221 The big issues of medical ethics are more in the news that ever before. And yet they remain as stubborn and often as incendiary as ever. This book claims that in an effort to deal with the issues, mainstream philosophers have arbitarily omitted many ethically relevant features in order to reduce them to more tractable technical puzzles. The most gratuitous omissions have been the patient's point of view on the problem, the patient's ordinary life that provides the wider context for his point of view, and the ordinary language and concepts by which the patient tries to make sense of the issue. In trying to rectify these omissions, the book is not offering an alternative theory that would generate policy-guiding solutions, but instead a nuanced examination of what it means to be human and to struggle with the mysteries of birth, life and death "The big issues of medical ethics are more in the news than ever before. And yet they remain as stubborn and often as incendiary as ever. This book claims that in an effort to deal with the issues, mainstream philosophers have arbitrarily omitted many ethically relevant features in order to reduce the central problems to more tractable technical puzzles. The most gratuitous omissions have been the patient's point of view on the problem; the patient's ordinary life, which provides the wider context for his point of view; and the ordinary language and concepts by which the patient tries to make sense of the problem 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. In trying to rectify these omissions, the book is offering not an alternative theory that would generate policy-guiding solutions, but instead a nuanced examination of what it means to be human and to struggle with the mysteries of birth, life and death."--Jacket