Description
Book SynopsisPhilosophical debates over the fundamental principles that should guide life-and-death medical decisions usually occur at a considerable remove from the tough, real-world choices made in hospital rooms, courthouses, and legislatures. This title seeks to change that.
Trade Review"Orentlicher makes a compelling case that our understanding of bioethical controversies could be improved by considering how moral concerns are translated from principle into practice."--Choice "A highly thoughtful and useful contribution to our understanding of how moral principles can be translated into practice, with substantial benefit to individual patients and, as well, to the health care system and our larger society."--Dale H. Cowen, The Journal of Legal Medicine "By drawing our attention to future real life implications of the implementation of moral principle, this book forces us to reevaluate the balance between theory and practice and is thus well worth reading."--James A. Anderson and Charles Weijer, Journal of the American Medical Association
Table of ContentsAcknowledgments vii One: Introduction 1 PART ONE: THE APPROACH OF USING GENERALLY VALID RULES Two: The Importance of Generally Valid Rules in Implementing Moral Principle 11 Three: The Absence of a Moral Distinction between Treatment Withdrawal and Assisted Suicide 24 Four: The Distinction between Treatment Withdrawal and Assisted Suicide as a Generally Valid Way to Distinguish between Morally Justified and Morally Unjustified Deaths 53 PART TWO: AVOIDING PERVERSE INCENTIVES Five: The Implications for Practice of a Policy's Perverse Incentives 83 Six: Underlying Moral Principle Permits a Limited Legal Obligation for Pregnant Wowen to Accept Life-Saving Treatment for Their Fetuses 91 Seven: The Problems with a Legal Duty for Pregnant Wowen Because of Perverse Incentives 113 PART THREE: THE "TRAGIC CHOICES" MODEL Eight: Avoiding Explicit Trade-offs through Implicit Choices 123 Nine: Limitations of the "Futility" Concept in Medical Treatment Decisions 132 Ten: Futility as a Way to Make "Tragic Choices" 153 Conclusion 167 Notes 171 Index 225
