The Hackett Introduction to Medical Ethics

“With remarkable breadth and depth, Altman and Coe provide up-to-date discussions of both classic bioethical issues (such as informed consent and reproductive technologies) and more recent developments in the field (such as relational autonomy and the impact of racial disparities on healthcare). The Hackett Introduction to Medical Ethics balances contemporary theory with clinical examples and cases in ways that will benefit both students and professionals in philosophy, bioethics, and healthcare.” —Jamie Watson, Cleveland Clinic Center for Bioethics and Cleveland Clinic Lerner College of Medicine“Altman and Coe’s fine book delivers on its promise, covering perennial issues and introducing new ways of thinking about those and emerging areas, including challenges to principlism; healthcare, social justice, and racial disparity; and collective responsibility. The latter is especially important as medical ethics rightly moves to a less Eurocentric, more nuanced way of thinking about what we should do and be.” —Dennis R. Cooley, Director, Northern Plains Ethics Institute, North Dakota State University“This comprehensive yet accessible textbook is essential for students and healthcare professionals seeking a robust foundation to navigate and address some of the most intricate and pressing ethical challenges in medical practice.” ​—Katrien Devolder, Professor of Applied Ethics, University of Oxford“Altman and Coe’s text is a much-needed pedagogical resource. It is well-written, accessible, and rigorous. It is steeped in the history of bioethical theory and yet freshly contemporary, bringing in new theoretical approaches and covering topics of immediate current concern. Its inclusion of sections on the COVID-19 pandemic and medical racism makes it especially useful in today’s teaching environment.” —Quill Kukla, Philosophy and Disability Studies, Georgetown University

Matthew C. Altman is Chair and Professor of Philosophy at Central Washington University, and Commissioner for Kittitas County Public Hospital District 1.

Cynthia D. Coe is Professor of Philosophy at Central Washington University.