This classic and controversial book examines the roots of the idea of virtue, diagnoses the reasons for its absence in modern life, and proposes a path for its recovery.

Exploring the relationship between morality and professional ideals, Kultgen examines the structure and organization of occupations and the ideals and ideology associated with professions. He argues that professionalization of occupations can both harm and benefit society, and that by converting occupations into organized special interest groups, the professions serve some sectors of society at the expense of others. On the other hand, he highlights the positive points of the professional ideal and explores ways in which it can be used to (...) advance the physical and moral welfare of society. Kultgen also shows how it is the practices within the professions that determine whether rules and ideals are used as masks for self-interest or for genuinely moral purposes. ISBN 0-8122-8094-6: $14.95. (shrink)

A Christian ethicist discusses such problems as organ transplants, caring for the terminally ill, and defining death.

Over the course of its first seven editions, Principles of Biomedical Ethics has proved to be, globally, the most widely used, authored work in biomedical ethics. It is unique in being a book in bioethics used in numerous disciplines for purposes of instruction in bioethics. Its framework of moral principles is authoritative for many professional associations and biomedical institutions-for instruction in both clinical ethics and research ethics. It has been widely used in several disciplines for purposes of teaching in the (...) classroom, during conferences, etc. (shrink)

This book combines the insights of a seasoned journalist with those of an expert on philsophical ethics to provide a penetrating and comprehensive guide to the ethics of news reporting. It is essential reading for anyone interested in the role the press plays in influencing social, economic, and political choices in modern society. Drawing on a wealth of real-life cases, The Virtuous Journalist melds for the first time a conceptual analysis of the critical moral problems in journalism with a solid (...) understanding of the constraints and possibilities faced by the print and electronic media. The authors are not First Amendment absolutists but believe nonetheless that, in a democracy, the media should be subjected to minimal legal restraint. They also argue that freedom from legal restraint requires increased moral responsibility. Among the specific topics treated in the book are notions of morality and fairness, journalistic competence, standards of objectivity and accuracy, avoiding bias, avoiding harm, notions of public service, and maintaining public trust. Specific cases discussed include the controversy surrounding the CBS documentary "The Uncounted Enemy" and recent reporting on the AIDS epidemic. (shrink)

APPLYING MORAL THEORIES is a unique introduction to the application of major ethical theories to practical concerns. Examining egoism, natural law, utilitarianism, respect for persons, and virtue ethics, the book offers insights into the advantages and difficulties associated with the application of each theory. Putting forth a critical method that encourages students to break down ethical deliberations into four classes of concerns'factual, conceptual, application, and moral'the book's driving claim is that "common morality," or the stock of moral ideas that most (...) people in our culture share, cannot be captured in a single moral theory, but that each of these theories highlights an important aspect of common morality. Thus, it is often useful to look at the complex moral problem from the standpoint of several theories. (shrink)

Despite the ethically important role that medicine and other professions play in the lives of individuals and society, journalists and media critics lack a well-developed method to assess and improve coverage of ethical issues that involve professions and society. This study fills a void in previous research on ethics coverage by providing a comprehensive analytical framework and by explicitly grounding this framework in ethical theory. It also sheds light on how reporters and editors can more adequately portray ethical issues that (...) have wide-ranging impact on both professionals and the public. ;Two exploratory case studies, both involving medicine and intersecting professions, were used to test and refine an analytical framework for assessing the adequacy of coverage and a secondary framework for assessing the limitations on journalists' ethics coverage. The case studies focused on coverage of the debate over federal policy on human embryo research and coverage of the ethical implications of testing for genetically linked diseases. Story analyses aimed at assessing the content of this coverage showed that, though mixed in depth, the stories generally met the minimum standard of adequacy for ethics coverage that this study proposed. However, interviews with selected journalists and ethics sources showed that even the best stories, though strong in many ways, were developed and framed in ways that left gaps and potential distortions. The interviews and story analyses also indicated that several factors at different levels, all related to the complexity of the topics covered, hindered at least some of the journalists in the cases. ;Even though the two case studies are not generalizable to all ethics coverage, they suggest ideas that might help journalists in other situations involving professions and their interaction with society to cover the ethical dimension more effectively. At least as important, the process of doing the cases helped to refine the theory-based tools that formed the basis for the assessment in the cases, making these tools of greater potential use in future studies. (shrink)