Smashed Pots

Abstract

On Being a Doctor5 May 2009Smashed PotsJack Coulehan, MD, MPHJack Coulehan, MD, MPHFrom the State University of New York at Stony Brook, Stony Brook, NY 11794-8036.Search for more papers by this authorAuthor, Article, and Disclosure Informationhttps://doi.org/10.7326/0003-4819-150-9-200905050-00015 SectionsAboutFull TextPDF ToolsAdd to favoritesDownload CitationsTrack CitationsPermissions ShareFacebookTwitterLinkedInRedditEmail This is a tale about restitution. From a moral perspective, I think most of us would agree that we ought to return things that we'e stolen to their rightful owner. But what if the objects at issue have no aesthetic or economic value, and the people you took them from have been dead for several hundred years? Let me pose the question more precisely: Is it morally required to return pottery fragments that you'e taken from an ancient garbage heap? And if, in fact, such a duty exists, just how much effort does a good conscience require of us?For ... Author, Article, and Disclosure InformationAffiliations: From the State University of New York at Stony Brook, Stony Brook, NY 11794-8036.Corresponding Author: Jack Coulehan, MD, MPH, Department of Preventive Medicine, HSC L3-086, State University of New York at Stony Brook, Stony Brook, NY 11794-8036; e-mail, [email protected]cc.sunysb.edu. PreviousarticleNextarticle Advertisement FiguresReferencesRelatedDetails Metrics 5 May 2009Volume 150, Issue 9Page: 650-651KeywordsConsciousnessCrimeCyclic adenosine monophosphateEmotionsHealth care facilitiesHospitalsMeatMedical servicesPreventive medicineRivers ePublished: 5 May 2009 Issue Published: 5 May 2009 Copyright & PermissionsCopyright © 2009 by American College of Physicians. All Rights Reserved.PDF downloadLoading ...