Public Reason and Bioethics: Three Perspectives

Description

This book explores and elaborates three theories of public reason, drawn from Rawlsian political liberalism, natural law theory, and Confucianism. Drawing together academics from these separate approaches, the volume explores how the three theories critique each other, as well as how each one brings its theoretical arsenal to bear on the urgent contemporary debate of medical assistance in dying.  The volume is structured in two parts: an exploration of the three traditions, followed by an in-depth overview of the conceptual and historical background. In Part I, the three comprehensive opening chapters are supplemented by six dynamic chapters in dialogue with each other, each author responding to the other two traditions, and subsequently reflecting on the possible deficiencies of their own theories. The chapters in Part II cover a broad range of subjects, from an overview of the history of bioethics to the nature of autonomy and its status as a moral and political value.  In its entirety, the volume provides a vibrant and exemplary collaborative resource to scholars interested in the role of public reason and its relevance in bioethical debate.  Acknowledgments Contents Notes on Contributors Introduction Part I: The Three Perspectives 1: Rawlsian Political Liberalism, Public Reason, and Bioethics (A) (A) Political Liberalism John Rawls Comprehensive Doctrine Stability and “Reasonable Pluralism” The Reasonable Political Values Overlapping Consensus and Public Reason Public Reasons and Admissibility Public Reason and Political Conceptions The Duty of Civility Disagreement Over Religious, Philosophical, and Moral Matters Thomas Nagel’s Idea of Public Justification The Criterion of Reciprocity How to Proceed? T. M. Scanlon (B) (B) Bioethics The Problem of Medical Assistance in Dying (MAID) The Case for Decriminalizing MAID A Religious View Slippery Slope Arguments: The Theoretical Version Slippery Slope Arguments: The Practical Version Abuse and Other Bad Consequences Utilitarianism Political Utilitarianism vs. “Public Reason” Contractualism (C) (C) Concluding Remarks 2: The Natural Law Tradition, Public Reason, and Bioethics 1 A Précis of Natural Law 2 Public Reason as Shared Deliberation and Truth-Directed Inquiry 3 Natural Law, Legislation, and Public Reason 3: A Confucian Conception of Public Reason and Bioethics 1 Introduction 2 Rawls’ Liberal Conception of Public Reason 3 Joseph Chan’s Confucian Conception of Public Reason 4 Sungmoon Kim’s Confucian Conception of Public Reason 5 The Reconstructionist Confucian Conception of Public Reason 6 The Bioethical Issue of Medically Assisted Suicide (MAS) 7 Concluding Remarks 4: Replies to Farrell & Tham, and to Fan 1 Reply to Farrell and Tham Human Telos and Common Good Alasdair MacIntyre Objections and Replies A General Objection to NLT Missing Links The Hippocratic Oath 2 Reply to Fan Moral Relativism A Distinction: Critical Morality and Positive Morality Critical (Bio-)ethics Cultural Differences Moral Contextualism Moral Contexts and Cultural Differences Liberalism or Western Theory Is Rawls’ Theory Individualistic? Should a Confucian Object to MAID? 3 Concluding Remarks 5: Replies to Li and Fan 1 Political Liberalism, Public Reason, and Bioethics 2 Confucianism, Public Reason, and Bioethics 6: Replies to Li and Farrell–Tham 7: Further Reflections (A) (A) Political Liberalism: A Synopsis (B) (B) Response to Farrell and Tham Telos Revisited Moral Contextualism and Abortion Revisited Moral Disagreement and Scientific Disagreement (C) (C) Response to Fan (D) (D) Further Reflections Confucian Ethics vs. Confucian Public Reason Are Universal Basic Rights Western?—Fan’s Puzzlement Can Confucianism Cohere with Liberal Ideas or Basic Human Rights? Does Confucianism Stabilize Absolute Monarchy? The Point of Critical Morality (E) (E) Reflection on Rawls Scanlon’s Contractualism Constitutional Essentials Should All Metaphysics Be Excluded? Is Political Liberalism Simply the Product of Western Hegemony? 8: Further Reflections 1 Reflections on Li’s Replies 2 Reflections on Fan’s Reply 3 Closing Reflections 9: Further Reflections Part II: Conceptual and Historical Background 10: Kant’s Conception of Public Reason 1 Introduction: Kantian Autonomy and Public Reason 2 Humanity as Ground for Laws of Autonomy 3 Heteronomy and the Domain of Right 4 The Public Use of Reason 5 The “Enlightened” Way of Thinking 6 “Partakers in Happiness” 7 The Double Function of Public Reasoners: Justificatory and Exemplary 8 Conclusion 11: Autonomy, Neutrality, and Perfectionism 1 Introduction 2 Justificatory Neutrality vs. Consequential Neutrality 3 Four Methods of Promoting the Good 4 I-Autonomy and C-Autonomy 5 Value, Reason, and Autonomy 6 Two Autonomy Constraints 7 Beyond Neutralism and Perfectionism 8 Conclusion 12: What We Have Reason to Value: Human Capabilities and Public Reason 1 Introduction 2 Public Reason as Contracting 3 Disability Critiques of Contracting 4 Public Reason as Human Capabilities 5 Public Reasons Beyond Borders Contracting Capabilities Is a Capability View Individualistic or Western Biased? 6 Conclusion 13: Public Reason and the Right to Healthcare 14: Bioethics and Public Reason: How the History of Bioethics Has Led to the Need for Some Concept of Public Reason 1 Introduction 2 Origins of Bioethics 3 Plurality and Complexity 4 A Place for Public Reason? Bibliography Index