The current state of global poverty presents citizens in the Global North with a moral crisis: Do we care? In this essay, I examine two competing moral accounts of why those in the North should or should not give care (in the form of charity) to impoverished peoples in the Global South. Nineteen years ago feminist philosopher Nel Noddings wrote in Caring that “we are not obliged to care for sta...

Downie continues the debate over professional ethics in general, and medical ethics in particular, begun by P. Sieghart (Journal of Medical Ethics 1985 Sep; 11(3): 117-122), and furthered by Downie and Sieghart (JME 1986 Jun; 12(2): 64-66) and R. Gillon (JME 1986 Jun; 12(2): 59-60). Here Downie addresses Gillon's theses that a physician has a special obligation to his patients, that this oblig...

The field of physical medicine and rehabilitation has evolved greatly over the last half century. Although practice patterns continue to change, the unifying concepts of physiatry remain the same. Awareness of the unique aspects of physiatry is still not optimal. It is incumbent on the physiatric community to educate our colleagues, our patients, and the public about our unique field.

In this lecture xenotransplantation is considered from the point of view of animal ethics. The main point is to show that a specific cluster of arguments commonly used in favour of xenotransplantation, simplifies the ethical questions involved. This simplification may be favourable for political reasons in a short time perspective, but may at the same time be disastrous from an ethical point of...