Principles of Biomedical Ethics

Building on the best-selling tradition of previous editions, Principles of Biomedical Ethics, Sixth Edition, provides a highly original, practical, and insightful guide to morality in the health professions. Acclaimed authors Tom L. Beauchamp and James F. Childress thoroughly develop and advocate for four principles that lie at the core of moral reasoning in health care: respect for autonomy, nonmaleficence, beneficence, and justice. Drawing from contemporary research--and integrating detailed case studies and vivid real-life examples and scenarios--they demonstrate how these prima facie principles can be expanded to apply to various conflicts and dilemmas, from how to deliver bad news to whether or not to withhold or withdraw life-sustaining treatments.
Illuminating both theory and method throughout, Principles of Biomedical Ethics, Sixth Edition, considers what constitutes moral character and addresses the problem of moral status: what rights are due to people and animals, and when. It also examines the professional-patient relationship, surveys major philosophical theories--including utilitarianism, Kantianism, rights theory, and Communitarianism--and describes methods of moral justification in bioethics. Ideal for courses in biomedical ethics, bioethics, and health care ethics, the text is enhanced by hundreds of annotated citations and a substantial introduction that clarifies key terms and concepts.

Features of the Sixth Edition:
* Integrates case studies throughout the text, rather than presenting them in an appendix as in previous editions
* A new chapter on moral status (Chapter 3)
* Extensively revised and expanded material on the theory of the common morality (Chapters 1 and 10)
* A reworked discussion of the ethics of care as a form of virtue ethics (Chapter 2)
* Revised and updated treatments of nonmaleficence and beneficence, which take into account recent legal and philosophical literature and discussions (Chapters 5 and 6)
* A new section on vulnerability and exploitation as it applies to justice (Chapter 7)
* A more concise treatment of the principles of biomedical ethics throughout the text, featuring developed, refined, and modified perspectives

Tom L. Beauchap is a Professor of Philosophy at Georgetown University. James F. Childress is Hollingsworth Professor of Ethics and Professor of Medical Education at the University of Virginia.