Freedom and democracy in health care ethics: Is the cart before the horse?

In this paper, I will first briefly discuss why the Catholic Church has always had and continues to have such a great concern for bioethics or health-care ethics, while I also highlight the biblical roots of this concern. Secondly, I will describe some of the ways in which the Catholic Church in America has exercised a positive influence in the field of bioethics, or what was in the mid-twentieth century often called medical ethics. Thirdly, I will sketch how and why the Church has to a large extent lost this influence, tracing how secularization both inside and outside the Church contributed to the destruction of the so-called “Catholic ghetto” and to the assimilation of ideas from the culture that were often alien to the Gospel and sound moral reasoning. Finally, I will offer some general reflections on how the Church can regain her influence in this area—especially with the goal in mind of building a culture of life in American society—and how Catholic scholars in particular can contribute to this effort by following the lead of the late Pope John Paul II's 1995 encyclical on bioethics, Evangelium vitae, whose twentieth anniversary is fast approaching.

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Rethinking primary health care ethics: ethics in contemporary primary health care in the United Kingdom

Primary Health Care Research & Development ◽

10.1191/1463423604pc222oa ◽

2004 ◽

Vol 5 (4) ◽

pp. 317-328 ◽

Cited By ~ 10

Author(s):

Robyn Martin

Keyword(s):

Health Care ◽

United Kingdom ◽

Primary Health Care ◽

Care Ethics ◽

Health Care Ethics ◽

The United Kingdom ◽

Primary Health

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Medical and Nursing Ethics: Never the Twain?

Nursing Ethics ◽

10.1177/096973309500200202 ◽

1995 ◽

Vol 2 (2) ◽

pp. 95-101 ◽

Cited By ~ 7

Author(s):

Ann Gallagher

Keyword(s):

Health Care ◽

Decision Making ◽

Nursing Practice ◽

Care Ethics ◽

Ethics Of Care ◽

Health Care Ethics ◽

Nursing Ethics ◽

Nel Noddings ◽

Shared Learning ◽

Caring Relationship

Since the publication of Carol Gilligan's In a different voice in 1982, there has been much discussion about masculine and feminine approaches to ethics. It has been suggested that an ethics of care, or a feminine ethics, is more appropriate for nursing practice, which contrasts with the 'traditional, masculine' ethics of medicine. It has been suggested that Nel Noddings' version of an 'ethics of care' (or feminine ethics) is an appropriate model for nursing ethics. The 'four principles' approach has become a popular model for medical or health care ethics. It will be suggested in this article that, whilst Noddings presents an interesting analysis of caring and the caring relationship, this has limitations. Rather than acting as an alternative to the 'four principles' approach, the latter is necessary to provide a framework to structure thinking and decision-making in health care. Further, it will be suggested that ethical separatism (that is, one ethics for nurses and one for doctors) in health care is not a progressive step for nurses or doctors. Three recommendations are made: that we promote a health care ethics that incorporates what is valuable in a 'traditional, masculine ethics', the why (four principles approach) and an 'ethics of care', the 'how' (aspects of Noddings' work and that of Urban Walker); that we encourage nurses and doctors to participate in the 'shared learning' and discussion of ethics; and that our ethical language and concerns are common to all, not split into unhelpful dichotomies.

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