What do you think?
Rate this book
The Basics
Bioethics: The Basics
The Basics is an introduction to the foundational principles, theories and issues in the study of medical and biological ethics. Readers are introduced to bioethics from the ground up before being invited to consider some of the most controversial but important questions facing us today. Topics addressed range of moral theories underpinning bioethics Arguments for the rights and wrongs of abortion, euthanasia and animal research Healthcare ethics including the nature of the practitioner-patient relationship Public policy ethics and the implications of global and public healthConcise, readable and authoritative, this is the ideal primer for anyone interested in the study of bioethics.
200 pages, Kindle Edition
First published January 1, 2013
24 people are currently reading
73 people want to read
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 9 of 9 reviews
January 3, 2014
I have a Masters' in bioethics and work full-time in this field (medical research ethics), so I read Bioethics: The Basics mainly to see what's being taught these days; it was published in 2013. Despite the fact that I'm already well-versed the subject matter, I really enjoyed it. Alastair Campbell's writing was smooth and punchy, and avoided the trap of reading like a textbook. This would be a great introductory or refresher for anyone interested in bioethics, medicine, research, and the future of humanity!
September 16, 2025
As my first foray into Bioethics and as an introductory text, this book functioned about as well as I expected. There is a wide scope with little depth, but what can you expect from a book of this length and goal. And so while I might have liked the book a bit more if it took greater time in exploring the many problems in bioethics and their proposed solutions, I also understand that that would have made this book completely different.
I appreciated the book's inclusion of two things in particular: (1) religion and its perspective on healthcare; and (2) justice. I thought that the author did a great job at really emphasizing the roles that the two play and the nuance needed to properly talk about these issues. And though, as I've mentioned above, the book cannot go past some surface level observations, it makes that apparent to the reader in these two sections. On the section of justice, I am particularly glad that the connection was made between the ethics of healthcare and its real life unjust distribution of it. Additionally, the move from health and medicine towards wellbeing and flourishing gets ever closer to what the ultimate goal of healthcare is/should be, and the book is much better for making this point.
A minor complaint I have here is the author's quick dismissal and latent biases in the book. Again, not to beat a dead horse (but unfortunately it seems I am), the book length is short and as such cannot take the time to explore every plausible arguments and objections. In certain portions of the book, unlike in the two sections I've listed above, there are quick retorts to possible arguments or ways of thinking that amount to "but obviously that's wrong." The writing gives the impression that their final word also points in the direction of the correct words (since the author should, of course, remain noncommittal in many of his conclusions). This would usually be fine in most other books, though I prefer that these sorts of biases be explicitly stated to the reader in an introductory book such as this one.
I appreciated the book's inclusion of two things in particular: (1) religion and its perspective on healthcare; and (2) justice. I thought that the author did a great job at really emphasizing the roles that the two play and the nuance needed to properly talk about these issues. And though, as I've mentioned above, the book cannot go past some surface level observations, it makes that apparent to the reader in these two sections. On the section of justice, I am particularly glad that the connection was made between the ethics of healthcare and its real life unjust distribution of it. Additionally, the move from health and medicine towards wellbeing and flourishing gets ever closer to what the ultimate goal of healthcare is/should be, and the book is much better for making this point.
A minor complaint I have here is the author's quick dismissal and latent biases in the book. Again, not to beat a dead horse (but unfortunately it seems I am), the book length is short and as such cannot take the time to explore every plausible arguments and objections. In certain portions of the book, unlike in the two sections I've listed above, there are quick retorts to possible arguments or ways of thinking that amount to "but obviously that's wrong." The writing gives the impression that their final word also points in the direction of the correct words (since the author should, of course, remain noncommittal in many of his conclusions). This would usually be fine in most other books, though I prefer that these sorts of biases be explicitly stated to the reader in an introductory book such as this one.
May 9, 2020
Great Foundational Read!
As someone who has taken one other bioethics class in her life, I really enjoyed reading this. I learned about many different principles and applications to those principles. It made me really interested in learning about and thinking about different current events issues.
As someone who has taken one other bioethics class in her life, I really enjoyed reading this. I learned about many different principles and applications to those principles. It made me really interested in learning about and thinking about different current events issues.
August 5, 2019
Excellent book for those with little knowledge of bioethics. Written in a way like novels so no text book reading stress. A primer for further study in the subject.
August 9, 2020
Textbook
April 8, 2021
I love how accessible this book while rewarding those who already have prior knowledge. This is one of a few textbooks I feel in love with . I cannot recommend it enough as a beginning to bioethics
February 5, 2025
good sweeping intro but lowk tries to do too much
Read
July 25, 2014174.2 C1871 2013
Want to read
September 9, 2015This is an interesting topic one I'd like to know more about. The author presents it in a way that a layman can understand.
Displaying 1 - 9 of 9 reviews