Online research in philosophy

The notion of “consent” is frequently referred to as “informed consent” to emphasise the informational component of a valid consent. This article considers aspects of that informational component. One misuse of the language of informed consent is highlighted. Attention is then directed to some features of the situation in which consent would not have been offered had certain information been disclosed. It is argued that whether or not such consent is treated as sufficiently informed must, from a moral point of (...) view, take account of four conditions. When these are applied to the operation of consent in relation to criminal responsibility for HIV transmission, the approach in some recent cases is shown to be morally questionable. (shrink)

This book is a critical, forward-looking and interdisciplinary text. Its chief aim is to advance understanding of medical law by reference both moral theory and the regulatory context. The first chapter seeks to map competing approaches within moral objectivism and outline the pressures created by the impact of market forces and medical tourism, political interests, medical and professional interests, changing perceptions of medicine, developing technologies, limited resources and the impact of increasingly direct (international and domestic) recognition of human rights. Chapters (...) 2 to 16 apply the analytical tools presented in chapter 1 to the topics of medical law and seek to demonstrate the need for a moral epistemology of the type defended in chapter 17. (shrink)

This monograph links moral theory and legal reasoning in the context of attempts to choose (or, more accurately, influence) human traits before birth. An analytical framework, developed in the first few chapters, is used to critique the regulatory approaches adopted in seventeen countries (the then 15 member states of the EU, Canada and the US). This analytic framework is developed by applying the tenets of Alan Gewirth’s Principle of Generic Consistency to the multivariable epistemic uncertainties evoked by practical ethical problems. (...) The result is an interdisciplinary text seeking to bridge the theoretical gap between abstract moral theory, modern scientific developments and the law. It thereby addresses the moral and legal issues raised by techniques and technologies such as abortion, preimplantation genetic diagnosis and germ-line gene therapy. (shrink)