More Humane Medicine: A Liberal Catholic Bioethics

摘要

This book comes with a warning to those who hold strictly pro-life positions since the author describes himself as a representative of "Liberal Catholicism." Situating his position in the field of bioethics by pitching it against "Conservative Catholicism," James Drane signals that his book sits uneasily with anyone who takes a strong anti-abortion and anti-euthanasia stand - and also with the teaching of Rome regarding contraception.Adopting a historical approach, the author reviews past traditions of thinking about life and death, primarily with a focus on the natural law tradition. After Roman Catholic natural law tradition is explored and criticised, the author reviews classical natural law thinking, much of which he appreciates. That said, however, Drane does not seem to have much time for the radical views advocated by Plato in The Republic. Rather, he appears to side with Aristotle who took issue with Plato's view that a doctor should "facilitate" the patient's death when the patient is chronically ill and unable to contribute to the good of the state or "his own development." Euthanasia as a last resort in order to relieve unbearable pain is another matter, he argues, suggesting that "if pain relief is not effective" and the patient "is dying in agony," then it might-exceptionally-be justifiable directly and intentionally to kill the patient.