Does Medical Ethics Have Its Own Theory?

Abstract

Sumner, a philosophy professor at the University of Toronto, reviews Robert Veatch's 1981 book, A Theory of Medical Ethics, and assesses the current theoretical status of the field of medical ethics. Although he considers Veatch's book valuable in its treatment of specific medical issues and its critique of codes of professional ethics, he finds fault with Veatch's attempt at constructing a general theory of medical ethics. Sumner concludes that medical ethics is still dependent on appropriating for its use the ethical theories developed by moral philosophers.