Feminist Approaches To Bioethics: Theoretical Reflections And Practical Applications - Softcover

Tong, Rosemarie

Softcover

ISBN 10: 0813319552 ISBN 13: 9780813319551

Publisher: Westview Press, 1996

Synopsis

No other cluster of medical issues affects the genders as differently as those related to procreation?contraception, sterilization, abortion, artificial insemination, in vitro fertilization, surrogate motherhood, and genetic screening. Yet, the moral diversity among feminists has led to political fragmentation, foiling efforts to create policies that are likely to serve the interests of the largest possible number of women. In this remarkable book, Rosemarie Tong offers an approach to feminist bioethics that serves as a catalyst, bringing together the varied perspectives on choice, control, and connection. Emphasizing the complexity of feminist debates, she guides feminists toward consensus in thought, cooperation in action, and a world that would have no room for domination and subordination.Tong fairly and comprehensively presents the traditions of both feminist and non-feminist ethics. Although feminist approaches to bioethics derive many insights from nonfeminist ethics and bioethics, Tong shows that their primary source of inspiration is feminist ethics, leading them to ask the so-called ?woman question? in order to raise women's consciousness about the systems, structures, and relationships that oppress them. Feminist bioethicists are, naturally, focused on acting locally in the worlds of medicine and science. Their different feminist voices must be raised at the policy table with one message in order to actually do something to make gender equity a present reality rather than a mere future possibility. Inability to define a plan that guarantees liberation for all women must not prevent feminists from offering a plan that promises to improve the estates of many women. Otherwise, a perspective less appealing to women may fill the gap.

About this title

Synopsis

No other cluster of medical issues affects the genders as differently as those related to procreationcontraception, sterilization, abortion, artificial insemination, in-vitro fertilization, surrogate motherhood, and genetic screening. Rosemarie Tongs approach to feminist bioethics serves as a catalyst to bring together different feminist voices in hope of actually doing something to make gender equity a present reality rather than a mere future possibility. No other cluster of medical issues affects the genders as differently as those related to procreationcontraception, sterilization, abortion, artificial insemination, in vitro fertilization, surrogate motherhood, and genetic screening. Yet, the moral diversity among feminists has led to political fragmentation, foiling efforts to create policies that are likely to serve the interests of the largest possible number of women. In this remarkable book, Rosemarie Tong offers an approach to feminist bioethics that serves as a catalyst, bringing together the varied perspectives on choice, control, and connection.

Emphasizing the complexity of feminist debates, she guides feminists toward consensus in thought, cooperation in action, and a world that would have no room for domination and subordination.Tong fairly and comprehensively presents the traditions of both feminist and non-feminist ethics. Although feminist approaches to bioethics derive many insights from nonfeminist ethics and bioethics, Tong shows that their primary source of inspiration is feminist ethics, leading them to ask the so-called woman question in order to raise womens consciousness about the systems, structures, and relationships that oppress them. Feminist bioethicists are, naturally, focused on acting locally in the worlds of medicine and science. Their different feminist voices must be raised at the policy table with one message in order to actually do something to make gender equity a present reality rather than a mere future possibility. Inability to define a plan that guarantees liberation for all women must not prevent feminists from offering a plan that promises to improve the estates of many women. Otherwise, a perspective less appealing to women may fill the gap.

About the Author

Rosemarie Tong is a Distinguished Professor of Health Care Ethics in the Department of Philosophy and centre for Professional Applied Ethics at the University of North Carolina.

About this edition

• Publisher: Westview Press
• Publication date: 1996
• ISBN 10: 0813319552
• ISBN 13: 9780813319551
• Binding: Paperback
• Edition number: 1
• Number of pages: 292