Description
Book SynopsisUses insights from the philosophy of Ludwig Wittgenstein to rethink bioethics. While Wittgenstein produced little formal writing on ethics, this volume shows that, in fact, ethical issues permeate the entirety of his work. It brings startling insights and clarifications to contemporary ethical problems posed by the realities of modern medicine.
Trade Review“
Slow Cures and Bad Philosophers breaks new ground, contributing to a fresh understanding of familiar questions in and about bioethics. This is a high quality, useful work.”—Martin Benjamin, author of
Splitting the Difference: Compromise and Integrity in Ethics and Politics“A startlingly original and very important collection of essays. Wittgenstein’s insights should help the field move away from fruitless battles and back to what its business really is: deepening our shared understanding of what would count as better health care and policy.”—
Judith André, Center for Ethics and Humanities in the Life Sciences at Michigan State University
“Carl Elliott always writes intriguing essays at the intersection between ethics, medicine, and general philosophy, so it is a real pleasure to have a new installment in his continuing reflections on the fascinating problems that arise in this territory. Aside from anything else, he writes well for the general reader, who can enjoy and learn from his work.”—Stephen Toulmin, University of Southern California
Table of ContentsAcknowledgments
Abbreviations
1. Introduction: Treating Bioethics / Carl Elliott
2. Religion, Superstition, and Medicine / James C. Edwards
3. Patient Multiplicity, Medical Rituals, and Good Dying: Some Wittgensteinian Observations / Larry Churchill
4. “Unlike Calculating Rules?”: Clinical Judgment, Formalized Decision Making, and Wittgenstein / James Lindemann Nelson
5. Wittgenstein’s Startling Claim: Consciousness and the Persistent Vegetative State / Grant Gillett
6. Attitudes, Souls, and Persons: Children with Severe Neurological Impairment / Carl Elliott
7. Why Wittgenstein’s Philosophy Should Not Prevent Us From Taking Animals Seriously / David DeGrazia
8. Injustice and Animals / Cora Diamond
9. Bioethics, Wisdom, and Expertise / Paul Johnston
10. Wittgensteinian Lessons on Moral Particularism / Margaret Olivia Little
11. Wittgenstein: Personality, Philosophy, Ethics / Knut Erik Tranöy
Notes on Contributors
Index
