Historical and Philosophical Perspectives on Biomedical Ethics: From Paternalism to Autonomy? (Ashgate Studies in Applied Ethics)

Most of the nine chapters presented by Maehle (history of medicine and medical ethics, U. of Durham, UK) and Geyer-Kordesch (European natural history and medicine, U. of Glasgow, UK) engage bioethics and medical ethics from a German perspective, looking at both historical issues and current ethical dilemmas. The comparative configuration of British and German medical professional ethics around 1900 is examined; social, political, economic, and ethical implications of the development of the German health insurance system are explored; and the increasing demand for informed consent in medical research in Germany is discussed. Running throughout the essays is the tension between paternalistic views of medical bioethics that give power to the state and medical institutions versus demands for individual autonomy. Annotation c. Book News, Inc., Portland, OR (booknews.com)