Bioethics: Drugs and Medical Treatment
Ethical Dilemmas in Biology & Medicine
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What are ethics? What is morality? How can one behave in a moral manner? These are among the most difficult and most interesting questions which face people of any age. Today, however, with advancing technology, difficult moral situations come upon us faster than we can even create the questions, much less find the answers.
This guide includes selected essays that address both general issues and specific questions in the area of moral philosophy as it relates to drugs, prescriptions, and the sorts of medical treatments which doctors and researchers advocate for patients or the general public. Why do doctors pick the sorts of drugs and treatments that they use? Do these drugs and treatment methods have the benefits that are claimed - and, if not, what should be done about it?
Prescriptions & Kickbacks: Is your doctor "under the influence"?
Most people have gotten a doctor's prescription at some point in their lives for a medicine they have needed. Some people need prescription medication on a regular basis due to their medical problems. The question is, to what degree can you trust that your doctor writes a prescription based only on your best interests as a patient?Prozac as Pancea
The benefits of antidepressants have been receiving more and more press coverage during recent years. This is justified because they can do quite a lot of good for people suffering from chemical imbalances in the brain, allowing them to lead happier and more fulfilling lives. This public attention also helps to alleviate the negative stigma which has long been associated with mental illness.Quarantines - Public Health vs. Personal Liberty
When an outbreak of a deadly, communicable disease threatens to overwhelm public health services, one of the tools available to government officials is a quarantine: segregating the afflicted or even possibly affected people, restricting their movements, and preventing them from having contact with healthy people in order to limit the continuing spread of the disease. Obviously this involves a serious infringement on a number of basic civil liberties - but is it justified? And, if so, when and how?Complimentary & Alternative Medicine
There's an awful lot in the news and in society about "alternative medicines" these days. By some estimates, it's an industry doing between $15 and $20 billion annually - and growing! But what is alternative medicine - how does it differ from scientific medicine and why do people use it?
Glossary: Religion & Philosophy
This extensive glossary provides detailed information on philosophical and religious concepts, from
abandonment to
Zeno of Elea!
(over 2400 entries total)
