Intervention and Reflection: Basic Issues in Medical Ethics

Discusses abortion & its violent conflicts/advances in gene therapy/genetic discrimination/rationing health care, etc.

Emphasizing cases in order to illustrate the medical, scientific, and social issues raised in bioethics, Munson (philosophy of science and medicine, U. of Missouri-St. Louis) also uses analytical text, readings, and "decision scenarios" to make his points. Chapters cover such topics as patient autonomy and confidentiality, race and gender in medicine; genetic and reproductive control, medical resources, abortion, impaired infants and medical futility, euthanasia, and general theories of ethics. Munson has made an effort to include opposing viewpoints on controversial issues. Annotation ©2003 Book News, Inc., Portland, OR

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A big textbook and reference for graduate or undergraduate nursing or medical students, and practitioners with or without any training in ethics. Munson (Philosophy of science and medicine, U. of Missouri-St. Louis) combines text, explanations of the social context, case studies, readings, and decision scenarios for topics within the basic themes of termination, rights, controls, and resources. He does not include an index. No dates are mentioned for the earlier editions. Annotation c. Book News, Inc., Portland, OR (booknews.com)

Ronald Munson is Professor of the Philosophy of Science and Medicine at the University of Missouri—St. Louis. He received his Ph.D. from Columbia University and was Postdoctoral Fellow in Biology at Harvard University. He has been Visiting Professor at University of California, San Diego; Johns Hopkins School of Medicine; and Harvard Medical School. A nationally acclaimed bioethicist, Munson is a medical ethicist for the National Eye Institute and a consultant for the National Cancer Institute. He is also a member of the Washington University School of Medicine Human Research Protection Committee and is Associate Editor of the AMERICAN JOURNAL OF SURGERY. Munson's most recent book is THE WOMEN WHO DECIDED TO DIE: CHALLENGES AND CHOICES AT THE EDGES OF MEDICINE. His other books include RAISING THE DEAD: ORGAN TRANSPLANTS, ETHICS, AND SOCIETY (named a Best Book in Science and Medicine" by the National Library Association); REASONING IN MEDICINE (with Daniel Albert, and Michael Resnik); ELEMENTS OF REASONING, Sixth Edition (with Andrew Black); and OUTCOME UNCERTAIN: CASES AND CONTEXTS IN BIOETHICS. He is also author of the novels NOTHING HUMAN, FAN MAIL, and NIGHT VISION."