Uncertain Bioethics

Stephen Napier is an associate professor of philosophy at Villanova University. His previous publications include Virtue Epistemology: Motivation and Knowledge, and he edited Persons, Moral Worth, and Embryos. His interests include epistemology, bioethics, and the metaphysics of persons.

• Chapter 1. IntroductionPart I. Foundational Matters: The Perception of Value, Persons, and Human WorthChapter 2. Moral Inquiry and the Apprehension of ValueChapter 3. Epistemic Justification, Peer Disagreement, and Practical InterestChapter 4. Persons and Human BeingsChapter 5. Human Dignity Part II. Dignity as the Beginning and End of LifeChapter 6. AbortionChapter 7. Human Embryonic Destructive Stem Cell Research Chapter 8. Euthanasia Part III. Balancing Dignity and AutonomyChapter 9. Decision-Making for Patients with Suppressed ConsciousnessChapter 10. Decision-Making for Patients with Apparent CompetencyChapter 11. Risky Research on Competent Adults: Justice and AutonomyChapter 12: Conclusion

"Stephen Napier argues with verve and subtlety for a cautious and restrained approach to acts of killing in bioethics; central to his argument is the difficulty of being sure that active interventions are permissible. This book intriguingly combines insights from a wide variety of different recent philosophical literatures to offer an important and interesting contribution to numerous current debates." – Sophie-Grace Chappell is Professor of Philosophy at Open University, UK