For the Common Good: Philosophical Foundations of Research Ethics

Research ethics are rooted in a fear that linking research to social purposes will justify sacrificing participants' rights and welfare. Alex John London's For the Common Good: Philosophical Foundations of Research Ethics defends a conception of the common good that promotes research that generates information to safeguard individuals' interests and organizes it as a voluntary scheme of social cooperation. This framework reconciles requirements and justifies oversight practices, expanding the issues and actors within the field.

Format: Hardback
Length: 480 pages
Publication date: 29 April 2022
Publisher: Oxford University Press Inc

The foundations of research ethics are plagued by deep divisions stemming from a profound apprehension that if research becomes too closely intertwined with weighty social objectives, an urgent drive to advance the common good through research will justify overriding the rights and welfare of study participants. Consequently, a distorted understanding of the essence of research emerges, with a limited focus on the actors who bear significant moral responsibilities. Moreover, the ethical framework and oversight mechanisms in place are primarily geared towards safeguarding against the dangers of research, while remaining largely silent about the threats posed by ineffective, inefficient, and inequitable medical practices and health systems.

In his book "For the Common Good: Philosophical Foundations of Research Ethics," Alex John London presents a compelling vision of the common good that serves as the foundation for a moral imperative. This imperative is grounded on two fundamental requirements. The first is to foster research that generates the vital information needed to enable key social institutions to effectively, efficiently, and equitably safeguard the fundamental interests of individuals. The second is to ensure that research operates as a voluntary scheme of social cooperation that respects the moral claims of its various contributors to be treated as free and equal.

By linking research to the aims of a just social order, a framework is established for assessing and managing research risks in a manner that reconciles these requirements and justifies key oversight practices in non-paternalistic terms. Reconceptualizing research ethics as the resolution of coordination problems and the provision of credible assurance that these requirements are being met broadens the scope of issues and actors within the purview of the field, paving the way for a more unified and coherent approach to domestic and international research.

This book is an open access title, available under the terms of a CC BY-NC-ND 4.0 license. It offers valuable insights into the philosophical foundations of research ethics and serves as a crucial resource for scholars, researchers, policymakers, and stakeholders engaged in the field. By promoting a deeper understanding of the ethical dimensions of research, this book contributes to the advancement of knowledge, the promotion of social justice, and the improvement of human well-being worldwide.

Dimension: 235 x 156 (mm)
ISBN-13: 9780197534830