Principles of biomedical ethics provide 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 four principles that underpin moral reasoning in healthcare: respect for autonomy, nonmaleficence, beneficence and justice. Drawing on contemporary research - and integrating detailed case studies and vivid real-life examples and scenarios - they show how these principles can be extended to apply to a variety of conflicts and dilemmas, from how to deliver bad news to whether to withhold or withdraw life-sustaining treatment. An ideal book for courses in biomedical ethics, bioethics and healthcare ethics, the text is enhanced by hundreds of annotated citations and a comprehensive introduction that explains key terms and concepts.
Reviews
"How many books can be said to have shaped the field of science for decades and helped institutionalise the field worldwide? It is hard to imagine what bioethics would look like without Principles of Biomedical Ethics" (Jonathan Moreno, University of Pennsylvania
"In this excellent work, Beauchamp and Childress deepen their explanation of common morality and the four groups of moral principles. Successfully responding to previous criticism, the authors provide an illuminating analysis of moral philosophy. This book is a must-read for both beginners in the field and more advanced scholars. '- Ruth Macklin, Albert Einstein College of Medicine
'The bible of bioethics. Everyone working in this field should have a copy. In twenty-five years I have realised that these are the four principles of practical ethics. I am drawn to their application in any analysis." -Julian Savulescu, University of Oxford
- Principles of Biomedical Ethics is one of the enduring and indispensable contributions to bioethics. It is always a valuable source of information and insight for those of us who are veterans in the field, and even more so for those who are new to the field in the classroom . His regular updating is of great value because it captures new issues that arise. "-Daniel Callahan, co-founder of The Hastings Center
"Over the past forty years, Beauchamp and Childress' Principles of Biomedical Ethics has become synonymous with bioethics. This venerable text has only improved with age. Beauchamp and Childress are to be congratulated on their historic contribution and their exemplary eighth edition, which deserves a place on the shelf of every bioethicist's library. "- Joseph Fins, Weill Cornell Medicine and Yale Law School