Kennedy Institute of Ethics Journal

The article by Baker and McCullough in this issue posits that bioethics has generally applied moral theories to practical problems. They propose that, rather than this "application," bioethicists should "appropriate" aspects of ethical theory. This article disagrees that bioethical writing is primary "application." It agrees that "appropriation" is the most suitable approach to bioethical analysis but claims that the description of appropriation provided by Baker and McCullough is inadequate. It must be supplemented by the rhetorical concept of "invention."