The Birth of Bioethics / Edition 1

by Albert R. Jonsen

Overview

This book is the first broad history of the growing field of bioethics. Covering the period 1947-1987, it examines the origin and evolution of the debates over human experimentation, genetic engineering, organ transplantation, termination of life-sustaining treatment, and new reproductive technologies. It assesses the contributions of philosophy, theology, law and the social sciences to the expanding discourse of bioethics. Written by one of the field's founders, it is based on extensive archival research into resources that are difficult to obtain and on interviews with many leading figures. A very readable account of the development of bioethics, the book stresses the history of ideas but does not neglect the social and cultural context and the people involved.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9780195171471
Publisher:	Oxford University Press
Publication date:	08/28/2003
Edition description:	New Edition
Pages:	448
Sales rank:	715,979
Product dimensions:	9.20(w) x 6.52(h) x 0.81(d)

About the Author

Albert R. Jonsen, Ph.D., is Chairman of the Department of Medical History and Ethics and Professor of Ethics in Medicine at the School of Medicine, University of Washington. He is a member of the Institute of Medicine and the National Academy of Sciences, and has served on the National Commission for the Protection of Human Subjects of Biomedical and Behavioral Research and the President's Commission for the Study of Ethical Problems in Medicine.

Table of Contents

	Preface	vii
	Acknowledgments	xv
Part I	Bioethical Beginnings: The People and Places
1.	Great Issues of Conscience: Medical Ethics Before Bioethics	3
2.	The Theologians: Rediscovering the Tradition	34
3.	The Philosophers: Clarifying the Concepts	65
4.	Commissioning Bioethics: The Government in Bioethics, 1974-1983	90
Part II	Bioethical Beginnings: The Problems
5.	Experiments Perilous: The Ethics of Research with Human Subjects	125
6.	Splicing Life: Genetics and Ethics	166
7.	The Miracle of Modern Medicine: The Ethics of Organ Transplantation and Artificial Organs	196
8.	Who Should Live? Who Should Die? The Ethics of Death and Dying	233
9.	O Brave New World! The Ethics of Human Reproduction	282
Part III	Discipline, Discourse, and Ethos
10.	Bioethic As a Discipline	325
11.	Bioethics As a Discourse	352
12.	Bioethics--American and Elsewhere	377
	Epilogue	406
	Index	417

Editorial Reviews

"Bioethics, Albert Jonsen observes in the introduction to his important, highly personal, and readable book, did not begin with a bang. But what becomes very clear as one reads his recollections of the origins of the field, is that it did not begin with people prone to emit whimpers...Jonsen brings an elephantine memory and a deft pen to telling the story of what happened when the first theologians, philosophers, and physicians found themselves out on these ethical frontiers of medicine without much in the way of intellectual tools to help them."—Arthur Kaplan in The Journal of the American Medical Association

"Al Jonsen's warmth, humour and encyclopaedic knowledge of the American Bioethics scene are evident throughout, and, despite its size, the book rarely fails to be both informative and engaging." -Medicine, Healthcare and Philosophy

"In The Birth of Bioethics Jonsen has written an in-depth review of bioethics, including a historical analysis of the field...This material should inform even sophisticated readers...Jonsen's depictions of the pioneers in bioethics whom he knew and worked with are vivid...Jonsen's unique insights, infused by the compassion he obviously feels, recommend this book strongly."—Edmund G. Howe in The New England Journal of Medicine

"A 'must-read' for all students of bioethics, on either side of the lectern, and for anyone interested in contemporary American culture."—Felicia Cohn in Religious Studies Review

"Albert Jonsen, a bioethics pioneer in his own right, is also a gifted writer of clear and arresting prose, a trait not widely found in bioethics circles. As part of a larger goal to evaluate the influence of the field of bioethics, Jonsen aims for "an accurate historical recounting of why and how the field came into being." The result is an intensely interesting history that will provoke many critical and constructive responses...it is a singular success..."—John C. Fletcher in Medical Humanities Review

"As a remarkable scholarly achievement, Professor Jonsen's book will be of interest to those in the field, as well as those concerned more generally to know what US bioethics is, where it was, and where it might be going." —Associated Medical Services

"This book is a narrative of the emergence of Bioethics in the United States in the period 1947 to 1987, written by one of the pioneers and major scholars in the field...this lengthy volume is rightly seen as the magnum opus of a single author, and it bears his distinctive stamp. Al Jonsen's warmth, humour and encyclopaedic knowledge of the American Bioethics scene are evident throughout, and despite its size, the book rarely fails to be both informative and engaging. It surely must be read by anyone interested in the transformation of traditional medical ethics in the last half of this century into the wide-ranging, multidisciplinary enterprise of Bioethics."—Alastair V. Campbell in Medicine, Health Care and Philosophy

From the Publisher

3 Stars from Doody

In The Birth of Bioethics Jonsen has written an in-depth review of bioethics, including a historical analysis of the field....Jonsen's unique insights, infused by the compassion he obviously feels, recommend this book strongly.

New England Journal of Medicine

How was it that a small band of academics and doctors were able to influence the richest, most powerful professional sector in American life-medicine-and to inveigle their way into the discourse of a society inclined to be more than a little skeptical about the very idea of experts in ethics? Jonsen does not answer that question. Indeed, without a compilation of what happened, no one could. The Birth of Bioethics is just such a compilation. It is a worthy starting point for those interested in learning about the field's emergence and fascinated by the puzzle of how it came to be what it now is.

Journal of the American Medical Association

This book, as indicated by the title, is a description of the origin of bioethics. This book is a comprehensive account of the early development of bioethics from 1947-1987, a period in which it emerged as a distinctive field. Medical and graduate students, physicians, and others interested in understanding the early history of the bioethics movement are the intended audience. The story of the emergence of bioethics is presented in three parts. In the first part the focus is on people and places, and the history prior to 1947 is covered as are the early theological, philosophical, and governmental influences on bioethics. In the second part the problems that have become the staple of bioethics are discussed, such as research with human subjects, the new biology and genetics, organ transplantation, end-of-life care decision making, definitions of death and the care of the dying, as well as the ethics of human reproduction. In the third part the author takes up the more academic questions of bioethics as discipline, discourse, and the character of bioethics in America and abroad. While this treatment of the theoretical roots of bioethics in theology and philosophy are likely to prove useful for many, the most engaging discussion is to be found in Chapters 5-9. Each of these chapters is a well-researched synopsis of the development of these important and complex subjects. Utilizing primary and secondary sources, the author provides a compelling and nuanced account of the persons and events that contributed to the development of these contentious topics. Presenting the first serious historical account of the field, he establishes not only the standard for future historicalscholarship, but provides an insightful commentary on how bioethics has come to enjoy a public prominence. He admirably helps readers to understand the intellectual and ethical challenges that make bioethics such a vibrant part of contemporary medicine, science, and society.

George J. Agich

Reviewer: George J. Agich, PhD (Cleveland Clinic Foundation)
Description: This book, as indicated by the title, is a description of the origin of bioethics.
Purpose: This book is a comprehensive account of the early development of bioethics from 1947-1987, a period in which it emerged as a distinctive field.
Audience: Medical and graduate students, physicians, and others interested in understanding the early history of the bioethics movement are the intended audience.
Features: The story of the emergence of bioethics is presented in three parts. In the first part the focus is on people and places, and the history prior to 1947 is covered as are the early theological, philosophical, and governmental influences on bioethics. In the second part the problems that have become the staple of bioethics are discussed, such as research with human subjects, the new biology and genetics, organ transplantation, end-of-life care decision making, definitions of death and the care of the dying, as well as the ethics of human reproduction. In the third part the author takes up the more academic questions of bioethics as discipline, discourse, and the character of bioethics in America and abroad.
Assessment: While this treatment of the theoretical roots of bioethics in theology and philosophy are likely to prove useful for many, the most engaging discussion is to be found in Chapters 5-9. Each of these chapters is a well-researched synopsis of the development of these important and complex subjects. Utilizing primary and secondary sources, the author provides a compelling and nuanced account of the persons and events that contributed to the development of these contentious topics. Presenting the first serious historical account of the field, he establishes not only the standard for future historical scholarship, but provides an insightful commentary on how bioethics has come to enjoy a public prominence. He admirably helps readers to understand the intellectual and ethical challenges that make bioethics such a vibrant part of contemporary medicine, science, and society.

Doody's Review Service