Anthropology and Bioethics

Abstract

The field of bioethics has been dominated by the tenets and assumptions of Western philosophical rationalistic thought. A principles and rights‐based approach to discussions of moral dilemmas has sustained and reinforced a pervasive reductionism, utilitarianism, and ethnocentrism in the field. Recent explorations of casuistry and hermeneutics suggest a movement toward an expanded theoretical and conceptual framing of medical ethical problems. Increased attention to moral phenomenology and a recognition of the importance of social, cultural, and historical determinants that shape moral questioning should facilitate collaborative work between anthropologists and ethicists. In this article, I examine the philosophical orientation of U.S. bioethics and the relationship of the social sciences to the field of medical ethics. Deterrents to collaboration between anthropologists and bioethicists are explored. Finally, I review past and possible future contributions of anthropology to the field of bioethics and, more generally, to medical ethics.