David Seedhouse 
Ethics 
The Heart of Health Care

Ethics: The Heart of Health Care — a classic
ethics text in medical, health and nursing studies — is
recommended around the globe for its straightforward introduction
to ethical analysis. In this Third Edition David Seedhouse again
demonstrates tangibly and graphically how ethics and health care
are inextricably bound together, and creates a firm theoretical
basis for practical decision-making. He not only clarifies ethics
but, with the aid of the acclaimed Ethical Grid, teaches an
essential practical skill which can be productively applied in
day-to-day health care.

Completely revised and updated, this Third Edition presents an
expanded theory of ethics section, and includes comprehensive and
contemporary examples and case studies. Newly covered are
introductions to rights in health care ethics, the ethics of care,
intuitionism, privacy, euthanasia, suicide and consent, and an
extensive FAQ section is added.

Tabella dei contenuti

About the Author iv

Preface to the Third Edition v

Preface to the Second Edition vi

Preface to the First Edition vii

Acknowledgements xi

Introduction to the Third Edition xii

Introduction to the Second Edition xlii

1 Growing Pains 1

2 Ethics is the Key 16

3 Problems of Practice 28

4 The Search for Morality 47

5 Persons and Potentials 75

6 Theories of Ethics 81

7 Obstacles to Clear Moral Reasoning 104

8 The Rings of Uncertainty 116

9 The Background to the Ethical Grid 142

10 The Use of the Ethical Grid 175

11 The Values Exchange 185

References 202

Index 207

Circa l’autore

Professor David Seedhouse was born in Nottingham, England. He was educated at Carre’s Grammar School, Sleaford (1967-74) and ‘The Vic’, Sleaford (1971-last orders). He continued this research programme at Manchester University (1977-84) and ‘The Grafton’, Rusholme (1977-?) where he achieved degrees in philosophy, and of memory loss.
Though captivated by good philosophical analysis and the prospect of uninterrupted lunch-time refreshment, David decided against a conventional academic career. He found most philosophy socially irrelevant (not least to fellow Graftonites) and determined to apply his philosophical skills to actual problems – not hypothetical ones.
To this end David accepted posts in health studies, nursing and medical departments. His experiences in these aggressively non-philosophical settings persuaded him to write practical philosophy books for health professionals. The real world continues to drive this writing, even after nine books for Wiley in twelve years.
David moved to Auckland in 1992 and is now a citizen of both Britain and New Zealand. He lives happily alongside the Tamaki estuary, with this wife Hilary and daughter Charlotte, and for some reason enjoys a consistently warm welcome from Ed, the local bottle-shop owner.