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

D. Robert MacDougall argues that bioethics needs more than just theories about what we owe each other to justify law and policy. He develops an interpretation of Kant's political philosophy that shows the legitimacy of health laws does not derive from the morality of the behaviors they require but from their role in securing our equal freedom from each other. This Kantian account can help settle longstanding bioethics debates about the legal and moral standards that should govern informed consent.

Format: Paperback / softback
Length: 254 pages
Publication date: 15 September 2023
Publisher: Lexington Books

In his book "Righting Health Policy," D. Robert MacDougall makes a compelling argument that bioethics lacks the necessary tools to justify law and policy effectively. While bioethics primarily deals with theories about our obligations to one another, justifying laws and policies requires a more comprehensive approach. It necessitates the development of tools that can explain the legitimacy of actions aimed at controlling or influencing others. This, in turn, necessitates a shift from moral philosophy to political philosophy.

MacDougall demonstrates how bioethicists have consistently failed to employ the appropriate tools to achieve their political objectives. He then presents an interpretation of Kant's political philosophy, which suggests that the legitimacy of health laws does not stem from the morality of the behaviors they require but rather from their role in ensuring equal freedom for all individuals.

One of the key insights MacDougall offers is that evaluating kidney markets based on the legitimacy of prohibiting sales rather than the morality of selling kidneys challenges the widely held belief that Kantian philosophy supports legally prohibiting markets. He argues that by shifting the focus to the legitimacy of prohibitions, we can reevaluate the ethical implications of these markets and arrive at a more nuanced understanding.

Furthermore, MacDougall emphasizes the importance of political authority in settling longstanding bioethics debates about the legal and moral standards that should govern informed consent. He argues that without a clear account of political authority, we cannot resolve these debates effectively. MacDougall's book provides valuable insights into the relationship between bioethics, political philosophy, and the broader social and ethical context in which health policies are developed and implemented. It challenges traditional perspectives and offers a fresh approach to understanding the ethical dimensions of health policy.

Weight: 386g
Dimension: 229 x 153 x 19 (mm)
ISBN-13: 9781498589970