Cover Image

Uncertain bioethics : moral risk and human dignity /

Bibliographic Details
Main Author: Napier, Stephen E. (Author)
Format: Book
Language:English
Published: New York : Routledge, [2020]
Series:Routledge annals of bioethics ; 19.
Subjects:
Bioethics.
Dignity.
Table of Contents:
  • 1. Introduction
  • Part I. Foundational matters : the perception of value, persons, and human worth
  • 2. Moral inquiry and the apprehension of value
  • Motivated cognition, attention, and moral perception
  • The problem of epistemic circularity
  • "Questioned-source contexts"
  • Conclusion
  • 3. Epistemic justification, peer disagreement, and moral risk
  • The epistemic effects of disagreement : dogmatism and flaccidity
  • Moral risk, presumption, and burden of proof
  • Conclusion
  • 4. Persons and human beings
  • Human beigns and substances
  • When do you and I come into existence?
  • Persons are not human beings
  • Critique of the functional brain view
  • 5. Human dignity
  • Two tasks and a note on method
  • Dignity : three aspects
  • Discharging misunderstandings
  • Alternative : interests and autonomy
  • Conclusion : the ecumenical nature of dignity
  • Part II. Dignity at the beginning and end of life
  • 6. Abortion
  • What is the act of abortion?
  • The moral analysis
  • The argument from epistemic diffidence
  • Conclusion
  • 7. Human embryonic destructive stem cell research
  • The twinning argument
  • The totipotency argument
  • Rescue cases
  • Natural loss arguments
  • The argument from epistemic diffidence
  • 8. Euthanasia
  • Definitions and clarifications
  • What can be presumed
  • The arguments
  • Appraisal of the arguments
  • Conclusion
  • Part III. Balancing dignity and autonomy
  • 9. Decision-making for patients with suppressed consciousness
  • The minimally conscious state
  • Undercutting the argument from advance directives
  • Objections
  • Epistemic diffidence and the argument for not removing PEG feeding
  • Conclusion
  • 10. Decision-making for patients with apparent competency
  • The basing condition
  • Competency assessments
  • The argument for stricter conditions
  • Clarifications and application to cases
  • Conclusion
  • 11. Risky research on competent adults : justice and autonomy
  • Children actually enjoy greater protection
  • Children should not enjoy greater protecton : direct benefit and theodicy
  • Objections
  • Conclusion
  • 12. Conclusion.