J Bioeth Inq [JOURNAL]
Sun
200 papers
Should the Dead Decide for the Living? The Moral Authority of Advance Directives and Posthumous Interests.
Andersen DB
J Bioeth Inq · 2026 May · PMID 42191943 · Publisher ↗
Accepting a reductionist view of personal identity threatens the moral authority of advance directives-a challenge often referred to as the personal identity problem of advance directives. According to this view, when co...
Accepting a reductionist view of personal identity threatens the moral authority of advance directives-a challenge often referred to as the personal identity problem of advance directives. According to this view, when cognitive deterioration reaches the point where advance directives would typically come into play the author of the directive will have ceased to exist in the relevant sense. As a result, the advance directive can no longer be said to express that person's wishes but only those of a former, numerically different self, rendering the directive without purpose. Building on the principle that like cases should be treated alike, this paper argues that the implications of the personal identity problem extend beyond advance directives. In particular, it examines how a consistent application of the argument calls into question common assumptions about posthumous bodily rights-especially the widely held view that individuals hold fundamental rights over their body after death, including decisions about organ donation.
Strengthening an Ethical Framework and Research Practice to Better Link Global Health Research to Health Equity : A Case Study of the SPOT-Impact Consortium.
van der Harst M, van der Graaf R, Pratt B
J Bioeth Inq · 2026 May · PMID 42189403 · Publisher ↗
An ethical framework titled "Research for Health Justice" has been developed that provides global health researchers with guidance on how to design their research to promote health equity and global justice. This study s...
An ethical framework titled "Research for Health Justice" has been developed that provides global health researchers with guidance on how to design their research to promote health equity and global justice. This study sought to test the framework's guidance by comparing it to the governance and experiences of the "Severe Pre-eclampsia adverse Outcome Triage" (SPOT)-Impact consortium-a transdisciplinary maternal health research consortium. The aim was to identify ways in which the "Research for Health Justice" framework could learn from the consortium's insights and practices and to identify how the SPOT-Impact consortium could more systematically link its governance and research to health equity. We conducted in-depth interviews with investigators, held a validation/reflection session with the consortium, and read core consortium documents. Our analysis identified areas of alignment, where the consortium's practices strongly aligned with the framework's guidance, and we describe how that alignment was achieved. We also identified areas of non-alignment, where the consortium's governance or practices diverged from the framework's guidance or where interviewees defined ethical concepts such that they differed from those of the framework. Based on our findings, we suggest several directions for the revision and expansion of the framework as well as lessons for the SPOT-Impact consortium regarding inclusive priority-setting, sharing resources, and research capacity strengthening.
The Right to Remain Unaugmented: A Critical Response to Braidotti's Posthuman Ethics for AI.
Yamada K
J Bioeth Inq · 2026 May · PMID 42189402 · Publisher ↗
Braidotti (2025) argues that AI-driven transhumanism erases human diversity by classifying non-normative bodies as "noise." This article accepts her diagnosis of structural exclusion but challenges her prescriptions. Pro...
Braidotti (2025) argues that AI-driven transhumanism erases human diversity by classifying non-normative bodies as "noise." This article accepts her diagnosis of structural exclusion but challenges her prescriptions. Prosthetic and augmentation technologies may dissolve the very axes of exclusion Braidotti identifies-sex, race, and disability-by rendering bodily characteristics subject to individual choice. The Proteus effect, whereby altered self-representation transforms behaviour, becomes irreversible through permanent prosthetic embodiment. Yet this liberation generates a new exclusionary axis: as augmentation becomes structurally compulsory, the unaugmented face quiet displacement through market forces and actuarial logic rather than overt discrimination. As the treatment-enhancement distinction collapses, this structural pressure-which this article terms crawling selection-renders the choice to remain unaugmented increasingly untenable. Braidotti's exclusion thesis is not wrong; the axis of exclusion rotates. This article proposes two correctives: a shift from static to dynamic tracking of exclusionary axes and the institutional protection of a right to remain unaugmented-the logical consequence of Braidotti's own affirmative ethics of becoming.
A Living Ethics Project to Address Inappropriate Levels of Care: Process and Outcomes.
D'Anjou B, Racine E
J Bioeth Inq · 2026 May · PMID 42165954 · Publisher ↗
The ethically charged question of what constitutes appropriate levels of care is both inevitable and particularly complex in intensive care units (ICUs), where limited resources, uncertain prognosis, and potentially conf...
The ethically charged question of what constitutes appropriate levels of care is both inevitable and particularly complex in intensive care units (ICUs), where limited resources, uncertain prognosis, and potentially conflicting values among patients, families, and ICU professionals all cohabit. While various tools have been developed to support discussions and decision-making around levels of care, they are often developed without the individuals who will ultimately use them and they fail to address the lack of interprofessional collaboration and communication between ICU professionals, a factor known to contribute to inappropriate levels of care. Living labs and the living ethics stance, which aim both to enhance collaboration and communication, represent promising research orientations for addressing this issue. This paper reports the process and outcomes of a living ethics project, which took the form of a living lab, to address the issue of inappropriate levels of care in the ICU. Special emphasis is granted to the evaluation of outcomes by participating stakeholders. This study highlights that, although inappropriate levels of care is a deeply concerning issue for which concrete contextual solutions can be envisioned, engaging in a participatory research process can be particularly challenging for overburdened critical care professionals. This difficulty stems not only from the multifactorial and emotionally charged nature of the issue, but also from the demanding context in which ICU professionals operate.
Biases and Limitations of Fatāwā Research in the Field of Islamic Bioethics.
Padela AI
J Bioeth Inq · 2026 May · PMID 42159930 · Publisher ↗
Fatāwā are a key source for Islamic bioethics scholarship. When developing Islamic bioethical frameworks and conducting research in this field, the inherent biases of this juridical tool and the limitations of fatwa-base...
Fatāwā are a key source for Islamic bioethics scholarship. When developing Islamic bioethical frameworks and conducting research in this field, the inherent biases of this juridical tool and the limitations of fatwa-based literature reviews should be recognized and addressed. In this paper, I describe key normative constraints and methodological limitations of fatwa and discuss their associated implications and remedies. I focus on how fatwa prioritizes context over text and how researchers often see part of the whole when using fatwa to identify Islamic bioethical norms, and how publication biases and related limitations can affect comprehensive fatwa reviews.
Responsibility Beyond the Black Box: A Medical Student's Reading of Giubilini's Paper "It Is Not About AI, It's About Humans".
Große AK
J Bioeth Inq · 2026 May · PMID 42159929 · Publisher ↗
Abstract loading — click title to view on PubMed.
"They Really Save Us From Ourselves" : Autism Researchers' Insights on Community Engagement and Ethics.
Silverman C, Yudell M, Carroll-Scott A
J Bioeth Inq · 2026 May · PMID 42149405 · Publisher ↗
Autism research depends on the participation of autistic children and adults as well as their families, but researchers have not routinely involved autistic people in the planning or execution of research. Community-enga...
Autism research depends on the participation of autistic children and adults as well as their families, but researchers have not routinely involved autistic people in the planning or execution of research. Community-engaged research practices, standard in other fields such as areas of public health, are gaining acceptance in autism research, although some researchers and other stakeholders remain concerned about their appropriateness, feasibility, or utility. This study, part of a larger project on stakeholder views on the ethics of community engagement practices in autism research, examines researchers' ethical beliefs about community engagement. We find that the researchers with whom we spoke cite multiple specific ethical and epistemological benefits of these practices and relatively few risks. Barriers to community engagement are, in their view, often institutional and practical, including the longer timelines of community-engaged research, resistance or lack of comprehension on the part of funding organizations and grant reviewers, the need for additional resources to support appropriate compensation, and ensuring that community stakeholders and researchers have a shared understanding of terminology.
Moral Attitudes on Somatic Gene Editing for Inherited Cardiomyopathy: A Qualitative Interview Study with Key Stakeholders in the Netherlands.
Simons JN, Locquet P, Borry P … +2 more , van Delden JJM, van der Graaf R
J Bioeth Inq · 2026 May · PMID 42149404 · Publisher ↗
This qualitative study aims to understand the moral attitudes of key stakeholders toward the development of somatic gene editing for inherited cardiomyopathy. Patients are waiting on effective treatment for inherited car...
This qualitative study aims to understand the moral attitudes of key stakeholders toward the development of somatic gene editing for inherited cardiomyopathy. Patients are waiting on effective treatment for inherited cardiomyopathies, including those caused by PLN and LMNA mutations. Somatic gene editing, particularly prime and base editing, is being explored as a potential therapeutic strategy. Development of these technologies requires insight into the perspectives of stakeholders directly affected by or involved in their translation. Semi-structured interviews were conducted with eighteen stakeholders in The Netherlands, including PLN and LMNA-mutation carriers, clinicians, laboratory researchers, and regulatory officers. Interview transcripts were thematically analysed to foster collaborative development of higher-order themes. Three central themes were identified. First, participants emphasized the importance of "the right treatment for the right person at the right time," reflecting a mixture of cautious pragmatism and hopeful anticipation of meeting patients' unmet medical need. Second, respondents highlighted potential societal benefits, like cost savings and technological spill-over, as justifications for continued development of somatic gene editing for inherited cardiomyopathy. Third, stakeholders expressed notable trust, not only in the promise of somatic gene editing itself but also in the broader process of scientific and clinical advancement. Respondents recognized somatic gene editing as a potential root cause fix, but attitudes spanned from considering it the superior option to maintaining a more ambivalent stance. Importantly, expressed concerns were framed as challenges to overcome rather than grounds for rejection. This convergence of optimism and trust across stakeholder groups underscores a rare degree of alignment between patients, professionals, and regulators; an alignment that demands careful stewardship if enthusiasm is to translate into responsible development and implementation of somatic gene editing for inherited cardiomyopathy.
Ethical Priorities Among Commercial Genomics Professionals : Survey Evidence Highlighting Diversity, Fragmented Privacy Law, and Human Rights Risks as Central Participant Concerns.
Walker A
J Bioeth Inq · 2026 May · PMID 42149403 · Publisher ↗
This paper presents results from a key informant survey exploring ethical, legal, and social issues (ELSI) as perceived by professionals working in the U.S.-based private sector human genomics industry. Drawing on a stru...
This paper presents results from a key informant survey exploring ethical, legal, and social issues (ELSI) as perceived by professionals working in the U.S.-based private sector human genomics industry. Drawing on a structured survey of 111 participants-including researchers, executives, policy leads, and communications specialists-this study examines how industry insiders assess emerging ethical concerns across domains such as data privacy, race and ancestry, sociogenomics, commercialization, and government partnerships. The survey instrument was developed based on a prior interview phase and reflects concerns raised directly by professionals in the field. Quantitative responses were analysed for levels of concern and consensus, while open-text responses provided further insight into areas of divergence and organizational context. Respondents expressed high concern and consensus about lack of diversity in datasets, fragmented privacy regulation, and potential genomics collaborations with governments implicated in human rights abuses, though significant disagreement emerged around the appropriate use of race categories and socio-genomic applications. This preliminary exploration offers a glimpse into perspectives from a difficult sample population, and suggests entry points for future collaboration, policy, and critical scholarship.
Neuroethics, Biocapital and the Attention Economy in the Times of Generative AI and Human-Machine Teaming.
Kendal E
J Bioeth Inq · 2026 May · PMID 42149402 · Publisher ↗
This short paper will argue that one of the most pressing issues related to the attention economy is the subjugation of cognitive capacity to conditions of neuro-capitalism, including through psychological discipline, bi...
This short paper will argue that one of the most pressing issues related to the attention economy is the subjugation of cognitive capacity to conditions of neuro-capitalism, including through psychological discipline, biopolitically-weaponized mindfulness, and transhumanist interventions. In so doing, it will also consider how traditional concepts of the human fail to account for the myriad ways humans interact with technologies that may enhance or diminish their capacity to contribute to, and participate in, the attention economy. Collectively, these issues highlight an ethical obligation for those working within neuroscience to consider the biopolitical implications of their work within the capitalist paradigm of work intensification and cognitive optimization. Using the example of generative AI tools in the workplace, the paper will conclude that such innovations fall within the scope of cognitive enhancements when considered within the attention economy, where offloading cognitive load onto technology represents a productivity shortcut designed to extract more value from the human mind through human-machine teaming.
Dignity in the Crossfire: The Political and Ethical Battle over Euthanasia in the Czech Republic.
Řebíková B
J Bioeth Inq · 2026 May · PMID 42149401 · Publisher ↗
The Czech debate on euthanasia illustrates with particular clarity how bioethical questions are inseparably intertwined with law, politics, and public discourse. Over the past decade, the issue has generated an exception...
The Czech debate on euthanasia illustrates with particular clarity how bioethical questions are inseparably intertwined with law, politics, and public discourse. Over the past decade, the issue has generated an exceptional number of monographs, creating a dense intellectual framework for reflection on dignity, autonomy, and end-of-life decision-making. Despite sustained scholarly engagement and repeated legislative initiatives, all proposals to legalize euthanasia have been rejected. The Constitutional Court has clarified that, while personal autonomy deserves respect, no constitutional right to euthanasia exists under Czech law; dignity is located primarily in the guarantee of care, and responsibility for any potential legal change lies with Parliament. Alongside legal and philosophical debates, public discussion has also been shaped by interventions from political actors. Public statements by President Petr Pavel supporting the possibility of a "dignified departure" attracted media attention and prompted reflection on how dignity is articulated in political language. Philosophical responses-most notably Tereza Matějčková's critique of equating dignity with not becoming a burden-highlight the risk that such rhetoric may exert subtle pressure on vulnerable individuals. Drawing on international experience from jurisdictions where assisted dying has been legalized, this article shows that palliative care and assisted dying have typically developed in parallel rather than in opposition. However, this empirical coexistence does not resolve normative tensions surrounding dignity, autonomy, and vulnerability. The Czech case thus demonstrates that bioethics, particularly in its proximity to law and institutional decision-making, is inherently political and calls for sustained ethical reflection on vulnerability and palliative care.
Should Anti-Natalists Strive to Improve the World?
Lougheed K
J Bioeth Inq · 2026 May · PMID 42149400 · Publisher ↗
Anti-natalism is a controversial thesis in procreative ethics that says it is always, or almost always, impermissible to procreate. A recent challenge to anti-natalists suggests that since they are committed to the extin...
Anti-natalism is a controversial thesis in procreative ethics that says it is always, or almost always, impermissible to procreate. A recent challenge to anti-natalists suggests that since they are committed to the extinction of the human species, it is unclear why they should care about environmental preservation and protection. This is because the strongest practical reasons in favour of environmental care are based on concern for future generations, something anti-natalists do not want to exist. If anything, then, even if the anti-natalist does not have reasons to actively destroy the environment, they have few practical reasons to care about environmental destruction or to modify their behaviour. I show that this argument is flawed because while anti-natalism enables extinction, it does not necessarily support it. Adopting anti-natalism might result in extinction but it does not require aiming at it. Even if no lives are worth starting, many are worth continuing such that the anti-natalist can reasonably hope for significant life-extension or immortality. There are also many reasons that exist right now to care about the environment. Finally, this argument may entail rejecting the Principle of Double Effect. I then explore the extent to which a structurally similar argument could succeed against anti-natalism with respect to improving the world more generally, beyond merely environmental concerns. I conclude that there is no way to do so that presents a significant epistemic or practical challenge to anti-natalism. Anti-natalists can coherently strive to improve the world.
The Replicant Will See You Now: Artificial Intelligence and the Right to a Human Physician.
Appel JM
J Bioeth Inq · 2026 May · PMID 42126772 · Publisher ↗
As artificial intelligence (AI) advances rapidly toward the development of human-simulating replicant physicians, society must determine whether patients will have a right to treatment by human doctors. While replicants...
As artificial intelligence (AI) advances rapidly toward the development of human-simulating replicant physicians, society must determine whether patients will have a right to treatment by human doctors. While replicants may offer efficiency and cost savings, they will lack qualities such as authenticity that many patients value highly in their relationships with doctors. The potential implementation of replicant physicians in healthcare risks the creation of an inequitable two-tiered system in which only the wealthy have access to human doctors. If society does not wish to see such a system develop, steps must be taken proactively to ensure a right to a human physician.
Reclaiming Agency Through Birth: Birth Mode, Postpartum Mental Health, and Ethical Responsibilities in High-Risk Pregnancies.
Dahan O, Sciaky-Tamir Y, Albo S … +2 more , Shachar IB, Horovitz O
J Bioeth Inq · 2026 May · PMID 42118436 · Publisher ↗
Objective This study examines whether mode of birth is associated with postpartum psychological distress among women who experienced high-risk versus low-risk pregnancies. It adds an ethical perspective to the literature...
Objective This study examines whether mode of birth is associated with postpartum psychological distress among women who experienced high-risk versus low-risk pregnancies. It adds an ethical perspective to the literature by considering how medicalization of birth may differentially affect women's autonomy and well-being across pregnancy risk contexts. Method In a cohort of 138 women who gave birth at a northern Israeli hospital (January to September 2023), psychological outcomes were measured eight weeks postpartum using the DASS-21 and PTSD Checklist (PCL-5). Birth mode and pregnancy risk status were extracted from medical records. Pearson correlations were computed separately for high-risk (n = 20) and low-risk (n = 118) groups. Results Among women with high-risk pregnancies, more medicalized birth modes were significantly correlated with higher levels of stress (rp = 0.655), anxiety (rp = 0.863), depression (rp = 0.726), and PTSD symptoms (rp = 0.789). No significant associations were found in the low-risk group. Conclusions Birth mode plays a critical role in postpartum mental health for women with high-risk pregnancies. These findings underscore the ethical duty to prevent psychological harm and to respect women's relational autonomy, making trauma-informed, autonomy-supportive care a moral imperative in medically complex births.
Against Single-day Histories : Complexity and Care for Palestine Through a South African Lens.
Bergsteedt BJ
J Bioeth Inq · 2026 May · PMID 42118435 · Publisher ↗
This article reads the Gaza genocide through South Africa's governance experience and intellectual traditions, advancing complexity and care as an integrated ethical orientation. Building on the United Nations Independen...
This article reads the Gaza genocide through South Africa's governance experience and intellectual traditions, advancing complexity and care as an integrated ethical orientation. Building on the United Nations Independent International Commission of Inquiry's September 2025 legal analysis-which finds Israel responsible for genocidal acts and failures to prevent and punish-I argue that single-day histories compress long-duration harm and blunt institutional obligation. Complexity functions as an ethical descriptor requiring pattern-literate reasoning across systems and time: combining direct statements with circumstantial evidence to test whether genocidal intent is the only reasonable inference from the totality of conduct. Care is specified as operational duty rather than sentiment: halting genocidal measures, restoring humanitarian access, enabling medical evacuation, ceasing arms transfers, and cooperating with international justice. Read alongside Gobodo-Madikizela's (2023) account of triadic temporality in post-apartheid South Africa, the Commission's findings expose how colonial temporality erases continuities between past, present, and foreseeable futures, and why reparative practice must widen decision-relevant testimony. I translate this synthesis into institutional design rules-representation as knowledge practice, testimonial parity, auditable reason-giving, material remedies, and iterative public review-that relocate ethics from exhortation to enforceable procedure under jus cogens and erga omnes duties.
The Promise and Peril of Precision Medicine : How Asian Perspectives on Naturalness Can Help to Reframe Disability Narratives.
Muyskens K, Takahashi S, Nord-Bronzyk A
J Bioeth Inq · 2026 May · PMID 42118434 · Publisher ↗
The dominance of ableist assumptions in precision medicine has recently been challenged, notably by Mintz, Stramondo, and Tabor (2024). Yet a similarly radical critique exists in Daoist traditions, particularly in the ph...
The dominance of ableist assumptions in precision medicine has recently been challenged, notably by Mintz, Stramondo, and Tabor (2024). Yet a similarly radical critique exists in Daoist traditions, particularly in the philosophy of Zhuangzi. While Mintz, Stramondo, and Tabor call for greater disability inclusion in genetics and genomics, they do not fully engage with how cultural and philosophical worldviews shape responses to genetic intervention. Drawing on our research on preimplantation genetic testing for monogenic disorders (PGT-M), we argue that concepts like ziran (naturalness) and wuwei (non-action) can deepen our understanding of disability inclusion, particularly in Asian contexts. The comparatively restrictive approval of PGT-M in Asia reflects cultural discomfort with disrupting what is seen as nature's course. Zhuangzi's allegories-especially those illustrating "the usefulness of the useless"-challenge dominant hierarchies of ability and provide clinicians with tools to engage more sensitively with patients who may see genetic testing as ethically troubling. This paper integrates Daoist insights to propose a globally inclusive bioethics, one that affirms non-intervention as a legitimate stance and broadens how we conceive of naturalness, disability, and autonomy. By doing so, we aim to enrich debates around precision medicine and support ethically pluralistic genomic care.
Community Perceptions Regarding use of HIV Molecular Epidemiology for Public Health in Victoria, Australia: Qualitative Findings.
Brophy JE, Haining CM, Hocking JS … +13 more , Keane R, Cogle A, Taiaroa G, Machon K, Hamlet J, Higgins N, Williams E, Prestedge J, Chibo D, Wright EJ, Williamson DA, Lewin SR, Keogh LA
J Bioeth Inq · 2026 May · PMID 42118433 · Publisher ↗
Molecular epidemiology (ME) is a field that integrates molecular biology techniques with traditional epidemiological methods to study the distribution, determinants, and dynamics of disease. In the context of HIV, ME inv...
Molecular epidemiology (ME) is a field that integrates molecular biology techniques with traditional epidemiological methods to study the distribution, determinants, and dynamics of disease. In the context of HIV, ME involves analysing genetic sequences of the virus to understand patterns of transmission, evolution, and the relationships between social, behavioural, and biological factors that influence transmission. This holds great promise in the global effort to further reduce HIV transmission, although its use raises significant ethical issues. ME is not currently used in Australia's public health response to HIV, although experiences from other countries emphasize the importance of community consultation and support to avoid unintended negative consequences, such as deterring individuals from accessing sexual health services. This article explores the perspectives of twenty-three participants, recruited through HIV/sexual health-related organizations in Victoria, Australia, via nineteen semi-structured interviews and one focus group. Participants included people who regularly test for sexually transmissible infections (STIs) and people diagnosed with HIV and/or syphilis/gonorrhoea. Participants often reported vague or no prior understanding of ME (19/23; 82.6 per cent); however, many of those with vague or no understanding were supportive (16/19; 84.2 per cent). A subset of participants raised concerns, including those related to privacy risks, misuse of data, and the disproportionate impact on marginalized groups. These findings reinforce the need for meaningful community engagement and safeguards for potential ethical use of ME in Australia.
Enacting Epistemic Justice to Promote Safer Care for People Living with Chronic Pain : A Clinician's Guide to Action.
Côté CI
J Bioeth Inq · 2026 May · PMID 42115476 · Publisher ↗
Background People living with chronic pain frequently encounter invalidation, including epistemic injustices that erode trust in healthcare. Objective To translate philosophical and empirical insights regarding epistemic...
Background People living with chronic pain frequently encounter invalidation, including epistemic injustices that erode trust in healthcare. Objective To translate philosophical and empirical insights regarding epistemic (in)justice into concrete, clinician-focused practices. Methods Evidence was synthesized from a prior systematic review and narrative interviews with seventeen adults living with chronic pain in Québec, Canada, and analysed using reflexive thematic analysis. Results A clinician-centred practice framework is presented, including: (1) Virtuous approaches-listening, validation, generosity, vulnerability, humility, and solidarity; (2) Narrative approaches-protecting story space, engaging in metaphors/counterstories, etc.; (3) Cognitive strategies-mindfulness and epistemic repair; (4) Patient partnership-inviting agendas, integrating patient-generated data and knowledge, and shared decision-making; and (5) Clinician support for patients' resistance strategies and (6) structural change. Each domain includes reflective questions and concrete actions (e.g., explicit validation statements, protected time for complex narratives, transparent acknowledgement of uncertainty, etc.). Participants' testimonies illustrate how these practices have the potential to counter testimonial and hermeneutical injustices, strengthen the therapeutic alliance, and enhance perceived safety. Conclusion Epistemic justice is an ethical and clinical imperative. Although guidance in this article targets clinicians, durable impact requires organizational commitments and active patient engagement to embed these practices in everyday care.
Hidden Dimensions in Clinical Ethics Consultation.
Seidlein AH, Fritzsche MC, Porz R … +1 more , Kohlen H
J Bioeth Inq · 2026 May · PMID 42115475 · Publisher ↗
Clinical Ethics Consultation addresses ethical questions, conflicts, and dilemmas in healthcare. This article argues that there are ethical dimensions in Clinical Ethics Consultation that are difficult to identify and ne...
Clinical Ethics Consultation addresses ethical questions, conflicts, and dilemmas in healthcare. This article argues that there are ethical dimensions in Clinical Ethics Consultation that are difficult to identify and need to be addressed additionally in Clinical Ethics Consultation models. Despite the diverse models and instruments developed across different regions, existing approaches often do not explicitly address these dimensions. The article illustrates the following critical hidden dimensions: issues of power and knowledge, pointing to structural and epistemic injustices, as well as further epistemic issues of implicit biases and subjectivity, intersectional discrimination, and limited participation of patients and their relatives. We argue that improving practice requires greater awareness of these hidden dimensions, consultant self-reflexivity, epistemic humility, and the implementation of specific strategies to mitigate power imbalances, thereby better fulfilling the goal of Clinical Ethics Consultation to support nuanced ethical decision-making.
Assisted Dying in Unjust Conditions.
VandenHombergh JJ, Kim SYH
J Bioeth Inq · 2026 May · PMID 42113338 · Full text
The phenomenon of euthanasia and/or assisted suicide (EAS) in unjust conditions has received much attention in the popular press, along with a handful of responses in academic venues. These responses typically defend the...
The phenomenon of euthanasia and/or assisted suicide (EAS) in unjust conditions has received much attention in the popular press, along with a handful of responses in academic venues. These responses typically defend the permissibility of EAS in unjust conditions by appeal to anti-discrimination or harm reduction arguments, which frame the issue in terms of exclusion from current EAS law. We first briefly examine these arguments within such a framing, and then argue that it fails to account for the deep moral concern elicited by EAS in unjust conditions. To address this moral concern more fully, we compare the policy of allowing EAS in unjust conditions to a hypothetical EAS policy which requires a guarantee of basic care-and thus avoids the EAS cases of moral concern from the start. We argue for the moral superiority of the latter policy and respond to several potential objections.
About
- Frequency
- Sun
- Papers found
- 200
- RSS feed
- Subscribe