Principles of Biomedical Ethics

Principles of Biomedical Ethics provides a highly original, practical, and insightful guide to morality in the health professions. Acclaimed authors Tom L. Beauchamp and James F. Childress thoroughly develop and advocate for four principles that lie at the core of moral reasoning in health care: respect for autonomy, nonmaleficence, beneficence, and justice. Drawing from contemporary research--and integrating detailed case studies and vivid real-life examples and scenarios--they demonstrate how these prima facie principles can be expanded to apply to various conflicts and dilemmas, from how to deliver bad news to whether or not to withhold or withdraw life-sustaining treatments.

Ideal for courses in biomedical ethics, bioethics, and health care ethics, the text is enhanced by hundreds of annotated citations and a substantial introduction that clarifies key terms and concepts.

New to this Edition

• Revisions throughout sharpen arguments, address recent issues raised by critics, and discuss and assess newly published material
• An expanded presentation on informed consent in Chapter 4
• Extended discussions of non-treatment, uses of the best-interest standard, quality-of-life decisions involving newborns and children, and physician-assisted dying in Chapter 5
• More in-depth coverage of theories of justice, problems of health insurance coverage, and the right to health care in Chapter 7
• Expanded sections on veracity and confidentiality, along with new cases, in Chapter 8
• More extensive sections on virtue theory and rights theory in Chapter 9
• Expanded critiques of the theories of justification in Chapter 10