Section I examines historical philosophical understandings of expertise in order to situate the current institution of bioethics. Section II focuses on philosophical analyses of the concept of expertise, asking, among other things, how it should be understood, how it can be acquired, and what such expertise warrants. Finally, section III addresses topics in bioethics and how ethics expertise should or should not be brought to bear in these areas, including expertise in the court room, in the hospital room, in the media, and in making policy. 2. A GUIDED HISTORICAL TOUR As Scott LaBarge points out, Plato’s dialogues can be viewed as an extended treatment of the concept of moral expertise, so it is fitting to begin the volume with an examination of “Socrates and Moral Expertise”. Given Socrates’ protestations (the Oracle at Delphi notwithstanding) that he knows nothing, LaBarge observes that it would be interesting to determine both what a Socratic theory of moral expertise might be and whether Socrates qualified as such an expert. Plato’s model of moral expertise is what LaBarge calls “demonstrable expertise”, which is concerned mainly with the ability to attain a goal and to explain how one did it. The problem with this account is that when one tries to solve the various problems in the model – for example, allowing that moral expertise is not an all-or-nothing skill – then one is immediately faced with the “credentials problem”. As LaBarge puts it, “. . .

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This collection addresses whether ethicists, like authorities in other fields, can speak as experts in their subject matter. Though ethics consultation is a growing practice in medical contexts, there remain difficult questions about the role of ethicists in professional decision-making. Contributors examine the nature and plausibility of moral expertise, the relationship between character and expertise, the nature and limits of moral authority, how one might become a moral expert, and the trustworthiness of moral testimony. This volume engages with the growing literature in these debates and offers new perspectives from both academics and practitioners. The readings will be of particular interest to bioethicists, clinicians, ethics committees, and students of social epistemology. These new essays promise to advance discussions in the professionalization and accreditation of ethics consultation.

The definitive book on ethics for chemical dependency treatment professionals. The treatment of addiction as a biological, psychological, social, and spiritual disease requires a high standard of ethical knowledge and professional skill. This groundbreaking, reader-friendly guide to contemporary ethical issues informs and challenges health care professionals, students, and faculty with a thorough and compassionate examination of the dilemmas faced when providing care for individuals suffering from substance use problems or addiction. Renowned psychiatric ethicists Cynthia Geppert and Laura Weiss Roberts tackle issues of autonomy, respect for persons, confidentiality, truth telling and non-maleficence--setting the standard for contemporary ethical practices. These challenges are illuminated with real-world case examples that show potential effects on diverse patient populations.

More than a general ethics text, APPLIED BUSINESS ETHICS: A SKILLS-BASED APPROACH applies practical ethical situations to real-world business settings and decisions. The text’s thought-provoking scenarios read like a Hollywood screenplay, with up-to-the-minute issues that encourage active debate among peers. Written by an award-winning business ethics instructor, APPLIED BUSINESS ETHICS has been field-tested by students and faculty across the U.S. The result is an exciting text that makes business ethics interesting and fun for everyone.

Embodiment, Expertise, and Ethics in Early Modern Europe highlights the agency and intentionality of individuals and groups in the making of sensory knowledge from approximately 1500 to 1700. Focused case studies show how artisans, poets, writers, and theologians responded creatively to their environments, filtering the cultural resources at their disposal through the lenses of their own more immediate experiences and concerns. The result was not a single, unified sensory culture, but rather an entangling of micro-cultural dynamics playing out across an archipelago of contexts that dotted the early modern European world—one that saw profound transitions in ways people used sensory knowledge to claim ethical, intellectual, and practical authority.

A Practical Guide to Clinical Ethics Consulting reasserts the philosophical method as foundational to ethics consulting. It does so in response to extensive attacks from social scientists, lawyers, theologians, and especially practitioners, all of whom disparage philosophy's reliance on abstract theory and conceptual analysis. Using clinical ethics consulting as an exemplar, Christopher Meyers argues that while many of the attacks are well founded, they are only partly so and not in the most important respects. Ethics consulting that relies too heavily on abstract analysis is of little use to practitioners; consultants must have adequate grounding in, and appreciation of, the concrete reality of working professionals. They must also be experienced enough to have the practical wisdom necessary to assist with real-world problems. Skills of philosophical analysis, when combined with instruction in empirical investigation, political awareness and appropriate character traits, are vital to ethics consulting. Ethicists need the theoretical and conceptual analysis skills that are a standard part of a philosophical education and mindset. The book provides both a defense of this central thesis and a detailed description of the empirical tools--and of the critical independence--necessary to effective consulting.