Guest Post by James Wilson The controversy over the Giubilini and Minerva article has highlighted an important disconnect between the way that academic bioethicists think about their role, and what ordinary people think should be the role of bioethics. The style of this dispute – its acrimony and apparent incomprehension on both sides – are […]
Latest articles
Of Tusks and Tuskegee: A Problem in Research Ethics
Xtaldave, by his own admission, has the horn. Well, if you’re being accurate about it, he has the tusk. But what’s important is that he has a whopping great piece of ivory to play with. Dave works in the labs here in Manchester, doing clever things with chemicals and science and crystalography and that sort […]
John Harris Clarifies his Position on Infanticide
John Harris writes in response to Julian’s post: I wish to clarify my position on infanticide to correct the impression that infanticide is something I defend or advocate. There is a big difference between an analysis of the moral symmetry of some abortions and some cases of infanticide on the one hand, and the defence […]
After-Birth Abortion: Editorial Comment
Rev Prof Ken Boyd, Associate Editor, Journal of Medical Ethics, writes: Coming up to me at a meeting the other day, an ethics colleague waved a paper at me. “Have you seen this ?”she asked, “It’s unbelievable!” The paper was ‘After-birth abortion: why should the baby live?” by two philosophers writing from Australia, Alberto Giubilini […]
“Liberals Are Disgusting”: In Defence of the Publication of “After-Birth Abortion”
The Journal of Medical Ethics prepublished electronically an article by Alberto Giubilini and Francesca Minerva entitled “After-birth abortion: why should the baby live?” This article has elicited personally abusive correspondence to the authors, threatening their lives and personal safety. The Journal has received a string abusive emails for its decision to publish this article. This […]
Conference: “Other Voices, Other Rooms: Bioethics, Then and Now”
Richard Huxtable has asked me to publicise this: The EACME (European Association of Centres of Medical Ethics) annual conference will be hosted by the Centre for Ethics in Medicine at the University of Bristol, between 20 and 22 September 2012: http://www.eacme2012.org/welcome/ This conference will mark the 25th anniversary of the Association, which provides an ideal opportunity to reflect […]
The Status of Bioethics
There’s been a couple of things that’ve appeared on the net over the last few days that have revivified something that’s been niggling away at the back of my mind for quite a long time now: the status of bioethics as an academic discipline. First there was Brian Leiter’s blog post. Commenting on the oddness […]
Obligatory Ventilation: Why “Elective Ventilation” should not be Elective
Guest post by Dominic Wilkinson (Cross-posted from Practical Ethics) On the BBC’s Moral Maze this evening, the question of elective ventilation was discussed at some length. (For those who missed it, the programme is still available here). There were several striking features of that discussion, but one argument that stood out was the argument against […]
Back from the Grave: Should we Allow Elective Ventilation?
Guest post by Dominic Wilkinson (Cross-posted from Practical Ethics) Mary is 62 years old. She is brought to hospital after she collapsed suddenly at home. Her neighbour found her unconscious, and called the ambulance. When they arrived she was deeply unconscious and at risk of choking on her own secretions. They put a breathing tube […]
Building for the Past
David Edmonds poses a question: Imagine three cities. 1. A medieval city (something like Oxford). 2. A city heavily bombed in World War II and completely rebuilt, with original materials etc. (e.g. the centre of Warsaw). 3. A city constructed in 2012 to look just like the medieval city (e.g. Poundbury the ‘traditional’ village Prince […]