The Basics of Bioethics by Guidry-Grimes, Laura K.;

Short description:

The Fifth Edition offers a compelling introduction to the fascinating, ever-evolving field of bioethics. Accessible and richly informative for readers from all backgrounds, this book provides an essential foundation in theories and concepts, which are then applied to numerous thought-provoking cases and contemporary questions.

Long description:

The Basics of Bioethics, Fifth Edition offers a compelling introduction to the fascinating, ever-evolving field of bioethics. Accessible and richly informative for readers from all backgrounds, this book provides an essential foundation in theories and concepts, which are then applied to numerous thought-provoking cases and contemporary questions.

Chapters are organized around common moral themes in order to help readers understand the values and other connections that tie together different positions in bioethics. Since the last edition, the field of bioethics has had to grapple with additional challenges, critiques, and difficult decisions. Readers are guided through the ethical complexities of abortion, medical aid in dying, genetic engineering, posthumous reproduction, biomedical research, and organ transplantation, among other topics.

Key changes to the Fifth Edition include:

• A new chapter dedicated to public health emergencies, incorporating key lessons learned during the COVID-19 pandemic that are relevant for future crisis planning.


• An introduction to disability ethics among non-principlist approaches, which continues to grow in influence in bioethics.


• Statistics and references have been supplemented across all chapters, integrating more international perspectives and data.


• New and updated cases illustrating a range of contemporary bioethical issues.


• Updated references and Key Concepts at the end of each chapter.

Praise for the Fourth Edition

“Veatch and Guidry-Grimes have set a new standard for balancing breadth, clarity, and accessibility for introductory texts in healthcare ethics. They impressively cover a wide range of important topics, and they are judicious and fair in their discussion of the many sides to pressing bioethical debates. This text will serve well undergraduate students in general healthcare ethics courses, as well as anyone looking for an up-to-date guide to contemporary debates in bioethics.” – Michael J. Deem, Duquesne University

Praise for the Fifth Edition

“The Basics of Bioethics remains an essential entry point into the field of bioethics. In the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic, as ethical questions in medicine, public health, and research have grown increasingly urgent and complex, this volume helps readers navigate both longstanding debates and emerging challenges in bioethics. Accessible, balanced, and consistently engaging, it offers an indispensable framework for understanding a rapidly evolving field.” — Devan Stahl, Baylor University

“The Basics of Bioethics continues to stand out for its thoughtful narratives, historical perspective, and practical frameworks alongside multi-dimensional ethical analysis. In a field that has recently confronted a ground-shifting pandemic, Guidry-Grimes has sustained a balance in this 5^th edition between foundational bioethical discourses and today’s most pressing issues. The result is an accessible and critically and normatively grounded map for learners.  It serves as a steady guide to complex bioethical conflicts brought on by social, medical, and technological changes.”-- Georgina Campelia, University of Washington School of Medicine and Chief of Harborview Medical Center Ethics Consultation Service

Table of Contents:

1. A Map of the Terrain of Ethics  2. The Hippocratic Oath and Its Challengers: A Brief History  3. The Basis of Moral Status in Debates on Defining Death, Abortion, Stem Cells, and Animal Welfare  4. Principle-Based Approaches to Moral Problems in Bioethics  5. Alternative Approaches: Virtues, Casuistry, Narrative Ethics, Feminist Ethics, Care Ethics, and Disability Ethics  6. Problems in Benefiting and Avoiding Harm  7. The Ethics of Respect for Persons  8. The Principle of Avoiding Killing  9. The Ethics of Deciding on Behalf of Another  10. Human Control of Life: Genetics and Modifying Human Nature  11. Reproductive Choice and Technologies: Ethical Challenges in the Creation of Humans  12. Social Ethics of Medicine: Utility Measures, Healthcare Systems, Transplantation, and Research Involving Human Participants  13 Public Health in Crisis: Emergency Planning and Triage  Appendix.