Comments for Bioethics International http://www.bioethicsinternational.org/blog Because just enough isn't good enough Sun, 29 Apr 2012 00:28:45 -0700 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.8.5 hourly 1 Comment on Bishops change feeding tube guidelines by Susan http://www.bioethicsinternational.org/blog/2010/02/10/bishops-change-feeding-tube-guidelines/comment-page-1/#comment-121933 Susan Sun, 29 Apr 2012 00:28:45 +0000 http://www.bioethicsinternational.org/blog/?p=1625#comment-121933 "Schiavo died five years ago after her husband won a court battle..." --- in other words, Mrs. Schiavo was denied hydration until she perished. You might also have noted that Mrs. Schiavo was not dying, nor was she lacking in family who were ready and desiring to care for her, as her parents were. It also is inaccurate to state that Mrs. Schiavo was "unaware of her surroundings". There is video of Mrs. Schiavo which refutes this claim, as well as sworn testimony of her nurse. “Schiavo died five years ago after her husband won a court battle…” — in other words, Mrs. Schiavo was denied hydration until she perished. You might also have noted that Mrs. Schiavo was not dying, nor was she lacking in family who were ready and desiring to care for her, as her parents were. It also is inaccurate to state that Mrs. Schiavo was “unaware of her surroundings”. There is video of Mrs. Schiavo which refutes this claim, as well as sworn testimony of her nurse.

]]> Comment on Reading “White Coat, Black Hat” and discovering that ethicists might be black hats. by Tom Herrnstein http://www.bioethicsinternational.org/blog/2012/03/29/reading-%e2%80%9cwhite-coat-black-hat%e2%80%9d-and-discovering-that-ethicists-might-be-black-hats/comment-page-1/#comment-118597 Tom Herrnstein Mon, 09 Apr 2012 04:25:25 +0000 http://www.bioethicsinternational.org/blog/?p=2990#comment-118597 Janet Stemwedel -- thank you for your thoughtful review of Elliot. One thing in the middle of your piece jumped out at me. When you consider what it is like for ethicists doing it right, it reminded me of Don Marquis' article on randomized clinical trials my students and I recently studied. Marquis' solution to making such trials ethical is the physician FULLY informing the patients -- giving the pros, cons, risks and rewards of both the preferred treatment AND the non-preferred treatments. Likewise, as ethicists, ideally we should present the arguments for all sides and explain them thoroughly. As you point out, thorough explanation includes making explicit the theoretical commitments that make the arguments work. Perhaps ethical medical practice (giving patients the means to be autonomous) and ethical advice to do ethical medical practice (giving medical institutions the means to be ethically autonomous) have something in common. Janet Stemwedel — thank you for your thoughtful review of Elliot. One thing in the middle of your piece jumped out at me. When you consider what it is like for ethicists doing it right, it reminded me of Don Marquis’ article on randomized clinical trials my students and I recently studied. Marquis’ solution to making such trials ethical is the physician FULLY informing the patients — giving the pros, cons, risks and rewards of both the preferred treatment AND the non-preferred treatments. Likewise, as ethicists, ideally we should present the arguments for all sides and explain them thoroughly. As you point out, thorough explanation includes making explicit the theoretical commitments that make the arguments work. Perhaps ethical medical practice (giving patients the means to be autonomous) and ethical advice to do ethical medical practice (giving medical institutions the means to be ethically autonomous) have something in common.

]]> Comment on The Brain on Love by Jo http://www.bioethicsinternational.org/blog/2012/03/27/the-brain-on-love/comment-page-1/#comment-117240 Jo Tue, 27 Mar 2012 15:20:50 +0000 http://www.bioethicsinternational.org/blog/?p=2984#comment-117240 What about adopted children? There is a six month hiatus between birth and adoption - from where do these ppl learn love for the future? What about adopted children? There is a six month hiatus between birth and adoption – from where do these ppl learn love for the future?

]]> Comment on Doctors’ radical plan to tackle organ shortage: Patients could be kept alive to become donors and hearts retrieved from newborn babies in controversial BMA proposals by Doctors’ Radical’ Plan to Tackle Organ Shortage: Coming Soon – On Demand Harvesting of Your Organs and Babies to be Born for Spare Parts! | Sovereign Independent UK http://www.bioethicsinternational.org/blog/2012/02/13/doctors-radical-plan-to-tackle-organ-shortage-patients-could-be-kept-alive-to-become-donors-and-hearts-retrieved-from-newborn-babies-in-controversial-bma-proposals/comment-page-1/#comment-109719 Doctors’ Radical’ Plan to Tackle Organ Shortage: Coming Soon – On Demand Harvesting of Your Organs and Babies to be Born for Spare Parts! | Sovereign Independent UK Tue, 14 Feb 2012 08:57:07 +0000 http://www.bioethicsinternational.org/blog/?p=2887#comment-109719 [...] http://www.bioethicsinternational.org/blog/2012/02/13/doctors-radical-plan-to-tackle-organ-shortage-... [...] [...] http://www.bioethicsinternational.org/blog/2012/02/13/doctors-radical-plan-to-tackle-organ-shortage-... [...]

]]> Comment on Health-Care Injustice: Doctors removed Henrietta Lacks’s cells without consent & companies made millions by Emmie http://www.bioethicsinternational.org/blog/2010/02/18/health-care-injustice-doctors-removed-henrietta-lackss-cells-without-consent-companies-made-millions/comment-page-1/#comment-109387 Emmie Fri, 10 Feb 2012 01:57:56 +0000 http://www.bioethicsinternational.org/blog/?p=1639#comment-109387 I Agree with Tamara as well. It was just wrong. I Agree with Tamara as well. It was just wrong.

]]> Comment on Are We Ready for a ‘Morality Pill’? by Tom Herrnstein http://www.bioethicsinternational.org/blog/2012/01/31/are-we-ready-for-a-%e2%80%98morality-pill%e2%80%99/comment-page-1/#comment-108899 Tom Herrnstein Fri, 03 Feb 2012 23:23:55 +0000 http://www.bioethicsinternational.org/blog/?p=2860#comment-108899 I am someone who leans toward believing that we have free will, and would agree that changing a person’s biochemistry is compatible with keeping free will. Biochemical makeup is one part of how we make ethical decisions, carefully changing the makeup in at-risk persons allows the other factors to continue being true parts of the whole. Free will or genuine agency are not threatened by small changes in any one factor. That being said, I am skeptical that the most effective way “to influence behavior for the better” for most of us is chemically. (Perhaps you agree with this seeing how your post focused on criminals.) And even for at-risk persons an improved biochemistry is worth little without a strong, ethical culture to guide it. So while we should help those in need to obtain the “sufficient biochemistry” they need, our main concerns should be elsewhere. Culturally we must evolve to where ordinary people—who already have the “sufficient biochemistry”—can learn, express, and defend being moral to a greater degree than we now do. This is not only the most effective way, it is the best way. It would be the best expression of our free will and the best example of our humanity. I am someone who leans toward believing that we have free will, and would agree that changing a person’s biochemistry is compatible with keeping free will. Biochemical makeup is one part of how we make ethical decisions, carefully changing the makeup in at-risk persons allows the other factors to continue being true parts of the whole. Free will or genuine agency are not threatened by small changes in any one factor.

That being said, I am skeptical that the most effective way “to influence behavior for the better” for most of us is chemically. (Perhaps you agree with this seeing how your post focused on criminals.) And even for at-risk persons an improved biochemistry is worth little without a strong, ethical culture to guide it. So while we should help those in need to obtain the “sufficient biochemistry” they need, our main concerns should be elsewhere. Culturally we must evolve to where ordinary people—who already have the “sufficient biochemistry”—can learn, express, and defend being moral to a greater degree than we now do. This is not only the most effective way, it is the best way. It would be the best expression of our free will and the best example of our humanity.

]]> Comment on Stillbirths, Infant Deaths Lead to Anxiety, Guilt Among Obstetricians by calvice tem cura http://www.bioethicsinternational.org/blog/2008/06/30/stillbirths-infant-deaths-lead-to-anxiety-guilt-among-obstetricians/comment-page-1/#comment-108796 calvice tem cura Thu, 02 Feb 2012 22:53:35 +0000 http://www.bioethicsinternational.org/?p=586#comment-108796 Thanks very much, we are a medical consultory in Brazil and you provided a very useful information here! Thanks very much, we are a medical consultory in Brazil and you provided a very useful information here!

]]> Comment on Tobacco Company Misrepresented Danger from Cigarettes by Albérlet from Budapest http://www.bioethicsinternational.org/blog/2012/01/09/tobacco-company-misrepresented-danger-from-cigarettes/comment-page-1/#comment-106711 Albérlet from Budapest Wed, 11 Jan 2012 13:15:58 +0000 http://www.bioethicsinternational.org/blog/?p=2809#comment-106711 Very interesting article. I have successfully quit smoking several years ago. Thank you for this post! Very interesting article. I have successfully quit smoking several years ago. Thank you for this post!

]]> Comment on Providing prices isn’t as easy as it sounds by frank http://www.bioethicsinternational.org/blog/2011/12/01/providing-prices-isnt-as-easy-as-it-sounds/comment-page-1/#comment-104817 frank Wed, 21 Dec 2011 04:22:00 +0000 http://www.bioethicsinternational.org/blog/?p=2735#comment-104817 This makes a single-payer option sound even better. Not to mention allowing medicare to negotiate prices with pharmaceutical companies could keep outrageous prices and salaries down. A very unethical part of healthcare. This makes a single-payer option sound even better. Not to mention allowing medicare to negotiate prices with pharmaceutical companies could keep outrageous prices and salaries down. A very unethical part of healthcare.

]]> Comment on Bishops change feeding tube guidelines by Theodore Jorna http://www.bioethicsinternational.org/blog/2010/02/10/bishops-change-feeding-tube-guidelines/comment-page-1/#comment-104325 Theodore Jorna Thu, 15 Dec 2011 06:19:19 +0000 http://www.bioethicsinternational.org/blog/?p=1625#comment-104325 Type your comment here. What course should one take if a demented patient keeps pulling out the feeding tube? How often, "morally speaking" must it be re-inserted.. Type your comment here.
What course should one take if a demented patient keeps pulling out the feeding tube? How often, “morally speaking” must it be re-inserted..

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