United States
£ GBP
Bioethics has become increasingly politicized over the past decade. Conservative voices dominated the debate at first, but the recent resurgence of progressivism and the application of its fundamental values (social justice, critical optimism, practical problem solving) to bioethical issues have helped correct this ideological imbalance. Progress in Bioethics is the first book to debate the meaning of progressive bioethics and to offer perspectives on the topic both from bioethicists who consider themselves progressive and from bioethicists who do not. It aims to begin a dialogue and to provide a foothold for readers interested in understanding the field.
The chapter authors--leading scholars in the field--discuss the meaning of progressive bioethics, the rise of conservative bioethics, the progressive stance toward biotechnology, the interplay of progressive bioethics and religion, and progressive approaches to such specific policy issues as bioethics commissions, stem cell research, and health-care reform.
The arrival of a new administration in 2009--one that is open to progressive ideas and rejects ideological interventions in science--makes this book and its new approach to bioethics relevant and timely.
Jonathan D. Moreno is David and Lyn Silfen University Professor of Ethics and Professor of Medical Ethics and of the History and Sociology of Science at the University of Pennsylvania. He is the author of "Mind Wars: Brain Research and National Defense", among other books, and editor of "In the Wake of Terror: Medicine and Morality in a Time of Crisis" (MIT Press, 2003).
Sam Berger is a J.D. candidate at Yale Law School.
The essays in this book are beautifully written, with each author presenting a well-reasoned thesis in an eloquent and passionate yet respectful and civil manner. In an age in which controversy is all too often accompanied by confrontation and argumentative discourse, the overall tone of this anthology is refreshing. The book successfully meets the goal of promoting a greater understanding and appreciation of progressivism in bioethics...For scholars, clinicians, and policy-makers whose work is enhanced by a deeper understanding of the primary intellectual debate in bioethics, 'Progress in Bioethics' offers a provocative and stimulating educational experience.
- Andrew R. Barnosky, Journal of the American Medical Association
"This volume is a 'veritable manifesto' of the progressivist bioethicist perspective on the major issues of the bioethical movement today."
- Edmund D. Pellegrino, The Quarterly Review of Biology
