Theory Without Theories: Well-Being, Ethics, and Medicine.
Journal Article (Journal Article)
Medical ethics would be better if people were taught to think more clearly about well-being or (what I take to be the same thing) the concept of what is good for a person. Yet for a variety of reasons, bioethicists have generally paid little attention to this concept. Here, I argue, first, that focusing on general theories of welfare is not useful for practical medical ethics. I argue, second, for what I call the "theory-without-theories approach" to welfare in practical contexts. The first element of this approach is a focus on examining important and relatively uncontroversial constituents of welfare as opposed to general theories. The second key element is a framework for thinking about choice in relation to welfare, a framework I refer to as "the mild objectivity framework." I conclude with illustrations of the way in which the "theory without theories approach" can improve thinking in medicine.
Full Text
Duke Authors
Cited Authors
- Hawkins, J
Published Date
- December 2021
Published In
Volume / Issue
- 46 / 6
Start / End Page
- 656 - 683
PubMed ID
- 34655222
Electronic International Standard Serial Number (EISSN)
- 1744-5019
International Standard Serial Number (ISSN)
- 0360-5310
Digital Object Identifier (DOI)
- 10.1093/jmp/jhab028
Language
- eng