PT  - JOURNAL ARTICLE
AU  - M Häyry
TI  - Can arguments address concerns?
AID  - 10.1136/jme.2005.010017
DP  - 2005 Oct 01
TA  - Journal of Medical Ethics
PG  - 598--600
VI  - 31
IP  - 10
4099  - http://jme.bmj.com/content/31/10/598.short
4100  - http://jme.bmj.com/content/31/10/598.full
SO  - J Med Ethics2005 Oct 01; 31
AB  - People have concerns, and ethicists often respond to them with philosophical arguments. But can conceptual constructions properly address fears and anxieties? It is argued in this paper that while it is possible to voice, clarify, create and—to a certain extent—tackle concerns by arguments, more concrete practices, choices, and actions are normally needed to produce proper responses to people’s worries. While logical inconsistencies and empirical errors can legitimately be exposed by arguments, the situation is considerably less clear when it comes to moral, cultural, and emotional norms, values, and expectations.