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J Med Ethics 2005;31:481-486 doi:10.1136/jme.2003.005710
  • Medical ethics

Medical ethics: principles, persons, and perspectives: from controversy to conversation

  1. K M Boyd
  1. Correspondence to:
 Professor K M Boyd
 College of Medicine and Veterinary Medicine, University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh EH8 9AG, UK; k.boyded.ac.uk
  • Received 17 July 2003
  • Accepted 16 October 2004
  • Revised 17 July 2003

Abstract

Medical ethics, principles, persons, and perspectives is discussed under three headings: History, Theory, and Practice. Under Theory, the author will say something about some different approaches to the study and discussion of ethical issues in medicine—especially those based on principles, persons, or perspectives. Under Practice, the author will discuss how one perspectives based approach, hermeneutics, might help in relation first to everyday ethical issues and then to public controversies. In that context some possible advantages of moving from controversy to conversation will be explored; and that will then be illustrated with reference to a current controversy about the use of human embryos in stem cell therapy research. The paper begins with history, and it begins in the author’s home city of Edinburgh.

Footnotes

    Responses to this article

    • Perspectives on ethics
      • Colin Parker
      J Med Ethics published online July 23, 2007

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