bioethics in search of virtue: a character-based approach

Through a collection of scholarly articles, Bioethics in Search of Virtue: A Character-Based Approach explores the character-based ethics embedded within healthcare practices, addressing a pivotal but often overlooked aspect of medical ethics. The anthology dissects the role of virtues as opposed to rules and laws in guiding healthcare practitioners’ conduct, offering a unique and vital perspective that navigates through moral theory, moral virtue, and specific bioethical issues.

The content is organized into three core units, which explore moral theory, the essence and structure of moral virtue, and a range of moral issues as they manifest in healthcare scenarios. It discusses ethical theories such as consequentialism and deontology and their applicability to clinical practices. The text includes case studies and real-world applications, grounding complex theoretical discussions in practical healthcare dilemmas.

Bioethics in Search of Virtue encourages students to critically explore the moral landscape of contemporary healthcare, fostering a nuanced understanding of ethical principles as they pertain to healthcare providers’ vocational integrity and the broader field of bioethical debate. It is well suited for coursework in bioethics, medical humanities, and philosophy of healthcare.