Birth to Death
Science and Bioethics

Reviews recent medical advances and discusses their ethical and moral implications.

David C. Thomasma (Edited by), Thomasine Kushner (Edited by)

9780521555562, Cambridge University Press

Paperback, published 13 July 1996

400 pages, 1 b/w illus.
22.9 x 15.2 x 2.3 cm, 0.59 kg

'The authors of this text have done a good job.' Roy Calne, Elsevier Science

Biology has been advancing with explosive pace over the last few years and in so doing has raised a host of ethical issues. This book, aimed at the general reader, reviews the major advances of recent years in biology and medicine and explores their ethical implications. From birth to death the reader is taken on a tour of human biology - covering genetics, reproduction, development, transplantation, aging, dying and also the use of animals in research and the impact of human populations on this planet. In each chapter there is a sketch of a field's most recent scientific advances, combined with discussions of the ethical and moral principles and implications for social frameworks and public policy raised by those advances. Anybody interested or concerned about the ethical dilemmas caused by advances in science and medicine should read this book.

Part I. Introduction David C. Thomasma and Thomasine Kushner: Part II. Genetics: 1. Genetics: a scientific sketch Karen Dawson
2. The genetic revolution Daniel Callahan
3. Genetic knowledge: some legal and ethical questions Robert Schwartz
Part III. Reproductive Technologies: 4. The 'Art' of medically-assisted reproduction: an embryo is an embryo is an embryo Michael E. McClure
5. 'O brave new world': rationality in reproduction Albert R. Jonsen
6. Reproduction, abortion and rights Rosamond Rhodes
Part IV. Children and Women in Health Care: 7. The critically ill neonate James M Adams
8. Medical technology and the child Amnon Goldworth
9. On caring for children Mary Mahowald
Part V. Transpantation: 10. Clinical transplantation Robert Sells
11. Transplantation and ethics Raanan Gillon
12. Legalizing payment for transplantable cadaveric organs James F. Blumstein
13. Part VI. Aging: 14. Scientific advances in aging John Morley
15. Ethics and aging George Agich
16. People with dementia: a moral challenge Stephen Post
Part VII. Prolonging Life/Death: 17. Personal dying and medical death Steven Miles
18. Stopping futile medical treatment: ethical issues Nancy Jecker and Lawrence J. Schneiderman
19. The sorcerer's broom: medicine's rampant technology Eric J. Cassell
Part VIII. Care of the Dying: 20. Modern technology and care of the dying Ronald E Cranford
21. Care of the dying from an ethics perspective T. Patrick Hill
Part IX. Euthanasia and Physician-Assisted Suicide: 22. Euthanasia and assisted suicide Pieter Admiraal
23. Physician- sssisted suicide: progress or peril? Christine Cassel
24. 'I will give no deadly drug': why doctors must not kill Leon Kass
25. Voluntary euthanasia and other medical end-of-life decisions: doctors should be permitted to give death a helping hand Helga Kuhse
Part X. Humans as Research Subjects: 26. Humans as research subjects Herman Wigodsky and Sue Keir Hoppe
27. Research involving children as subjects Robert J. Levine
28. Future challenges of medical research review boards Charles R. McKay
Part XI. Using Animals in Research: 29. Animals in research Franklin Loew
30. Taking duties seriously: medical experimentation, animal rights and moral incoherence Daniel A. Moros
31. Animal rights and social practices Ted Benton
Part XII. The Environment: 32. The science of the environment Andrew Pullin
33. Environmental ethics Andrew Dobson
34. Human activity and environment ethics Andrew Jameton
Part XIII. Postscript David C. Thomasma and Thomasine Kushner.

Subject Areas: Bio-ethics [PSAD]