From Quandary Cases to Ordinary Life: New Opportunities to Connect Social Ethics and Health Care Ethics

Authors

Conor M. Kelly, Marquette UniversityFollow

Document Type

Article

Publication Date

2021

Publisher

Georgetown University Press

Source Publication

Journal of the Society of Christian Ethics

Source ISSN

1540-7942

Original Item ID

DOI: 10.5840/jsce202171947

Abstract

In Christian bioethics, the call for a greater integration of social ethics and medical ethics is a popular refrain, yet lasting progress toward this goal has been elusive, in part due to the traditional emphasis on quandary cases in medical ethics. This article develops an alternative approach to moral discernment in health care, employing a theological interpretation of solidarity to promote greater social consciousness in ordinary health care decision making. This shifts the ethical analysis from abstract scenarios to everyday choices, elevating the moral significance of seemingly mundane concerns like antibiotic use and diet and exercise.

Comments

Published version. Journal of the Society of Christian Ethics, Vol. 41, No. 1 (2021): 107-124. DOI. © 2021 Georgetown University Press. Used with permission.

Recommended Citation

Kelly, Conor M., "From Quandary Cases to Ordinary Life: New Opportunities to Connect Social Ethics and Health Care Ethics" (2021). Theology Faculty Research and Publications. 831.
https://epublications.marquette.edu/theo_fac/831