PT  - JOURNAL ARTICLE
AU  - Julian Savulescu
TI  - Bioethics: why philosophy is essential for progress
AID  - 10.1136/medethics-2014-102284
DP  - 2015 Jan 01
TA  - Journal of Medical Ethics
PG  - 28--33
VI  - 41
IP  - 1
4099  - http://jme.bmj.com/content/41/1/28.short
4100  - http://jme.bmj.com/content/41/1/28.full
SO  - J Med Ethics2015 Jan 01; 41
AB  - It is the JME's 40th anniversary and my 20th anniversary working in the field. I reflect on the nature of bioethics and medical ethics. I argue that both bioethics and medical ethics together have, in many ways, failed as fields. My diagnosis is that better philosophy is needed. I give some examples of the importance of philosophy to bioethics. I focus mostly on the failure of ethics in research and organ transplantation, although I also consider genetic selection, enhancement, cloning, futility, disability and other topics. I do not consider any topic comprehensively or systematically or address the many reasonable objections to my arguments. Rather, I seek to illustrate why philosophical analysis and argument remain as important as ever to progress in bioethics and medical ethics.