Righting Health Policy: Bioethics, Political Philosophy, and the Normative Justification of Health Law and Policy

D. Robert MacDougall argues that bioethics needs political philosophy to justify its normative recommendations for law and policy, as it requires explaining the basis for controlling or influencing others to do what they are supposed to do. He develops an interpretation of Kant's moral and political philosophy to show the importance of political philosophy for bioethics, arguing that a theory of political legitimacy is necessary for distinguishing between morally required and legally enforceable duties and that political authority is necessary for settling the content of legal and moral rights and duties.

Format: Hardback
Length: 254 pages
Publication date: 15 February 2022
Publisher: Lexington Books

In his book, "Righting Health Policy: Bioethics, Political Philosophy, and the Normative Justification of Health Law and Policy," D. Robert MacDougall makes a compelling argument that bioethics lacks the necessary tools to justify its normative recommendations for law and policy. While bioethics primarily deals with theories about our obligations to one another, justifying laws and policies requires a deeper understanding. It involves explaining the basis on which we can control or influence others to fulfill their responsibilities, which falls within the realm of political philosophy rather than moral philosophy.

MacDougall delves into the interpretation of Kant's moral and political philosophy to demonstrate the significance of political philosophy for bioethics. He argues that a theory of political legitimacy is essential for distinguishing between what is morally required and what is legally enforceable. MacDougall further suggests that in certain cases, an account of political authority is necessary to determine the content of not only our legal rights and duties but also our moral ones.

The Kantian account provides a compelling explanation for why the content of physicians' duties, both legal and moral, to inform patients prior to treatment remains indeterminate outside of a state with the authority to conclusively settle what counts as valid consent. By incorporating political philosophy into bioethics, MacDougall offers a valuable perspective that challenges traditional approaches and encourages a more comprehensive and nuanced understanding of health law and policy.

Dimension: 229 x 152 (mm)
ISBN-13: 9781498589956