Bioethics, Public Moral Argument, and Social Responsibility

Bioethics, Public Moral Argument, and Social Responsibility explores the role of democratically oriented argument in promoting public understanding and discussion of the benefits and burdens of biotechnological progress. The contributors examine moral and policy controversies surrounding biomedical technologies and their place in American society, beginning with an examination of discourse and moral authority in democracy, and addressing a set of issues that include: dignity in health care; the social responsibilities of scientists, journalists, and scholars; and the language of genetics and moral responsibility.

Table of Contents:
Preface Editors’ Introduction Part 1: Public Moral Argument and Social Responsibility 1. Arguing About Values: the Problem of Public Moral Argument David Zarefsky 2. Bioethical Deliberation in a Democracy Jonathan D. Moreno 3. Bioethics and the Law: Using Moot Court as a Tool to Teach Effective Argumentation Skills Christine Nero Coughlin, Tracey Banks Coan, and Barbara Lentz Part 2: Moral Relationships and Responsibilities 4. Dignity Can Be a Useful Concept in Bioethics Rebecca Dresser 5. Appeals to Human Nature in Biomedical Ethics: Managing Our Legacies, Loyalties, and Love of Champions Eric T. Juengst 6. In the Stars or In Our Genes: The Languages of Fate and Moral Responsibility Larry R. Churchill 7. Responsibility versus "Blame" in Health Communication: Where to Draw the Lines in Romancing the Gene Roxanne Parrott Part 3: The Media, the Public, and the Person 8. Media Misinformation and the Obesity Epidemic: The Conflict Between Scientific Fact and Industry Claims Stephen Giles and Marina Krcmar 9. How We Feel With Metaphors for Genes: Implications for Understanding Humans and Forming Genetic Policies Celeste M. Condit 10. An Investigative Bioethics Manifesto Carl Elliott 11. The Question of "The Public" Christian O. Lundberg and Ross Smith Afterword