(Bio)Ethics in a Pluralistic Society

Ben Gray
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Ben Gray: Department of Primary Health Care and General Practice, Otago University, Wellington 6242, New Zealand

Challenges, 2019, vol. 10, issue 1, 1-15

Abstract: Traditional (bio) ethics relies to a large degree on the analysis of problems to determine the right course of action. In particular, in medicine, a dominant text declares that there is a “Common Morality” that applies to all people. This paper will argue that ethics is culture bound and that, in a pluralistic society, a common morality approach to the resolution of problems has significant limitations. I will argue that more attention needs to be paid to the process of agreeing to a way forward given that there is disagreement. I will illustrate how this applies not only at the clinical level but also at the level of national and international politics. A theoretical understanding of compromise and a look at ways of describing the way people make ethical decisions as opposed to seeking an ideal ethical code is presented as a way in which we can manage problems better in a pluralistic society.

Keywords: bioethics; compromise; cultural competence; pluralism; multilateralism (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: A00 C00 Z00 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2019
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