Document Detail


Slaves, embryos, and nonhuman animals: moral status and the limitations of common morality theory.
MedLine Citation:
PMID:  16453948     Owner:  KIE     Status:  MEDLINE    
Abstract/OtherAbstract:
Common morality theory must confront apparent counterexamples from the history of morality, such as the widespread acceptance of slavery in prior eras, that suggest core norms have changed over time. A recent defense of common morality theory addresses this problem by drawing a distinction between the content of the norms of the common morality and the range of individuals to whom these norms apply. This distinction is successful in reconciling common morality theory with practices such as slavery, but only at the cost of underscoring the limits of common morality theory, in particular its inability to resolve disputes about the moral status of entities. Given that many controversies in bioethics center on the disputed status of various entities, such as embryos and nonhuman animals, this is an important limitation. Nonetheless, common morality theory still can be a useful resource in diminishing moral conflict on issues that do not involve disputes over moral status.
Authors:
Ronald A Lindsay
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Publication Detail:
Type:  Historical Article; Journal Article    
Journal Detail:
Title:  Kennedy Institute of Ethics journal     Volume:  15     ISSN:  1054-6863     ISO Abbreviation:  Kennedy Inst Ethics J     Publication Date:  2005 Dec 
Date Detail:
Created Date:  2006-02-02     Completed Date:  2006-02-13     Revised Date:  2007-11-15    
Medline Journal Info:
Nlm Unique ID:  9109135     Medline TA:  Kennedy Inst Ethics J     Country:  United States    
Other Details:
Languages:  eng     Pagination:  323-46     Citation Subset:  E    
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MeSH Terms
Descriptor/Qualifier:
Animal Rights
Animals
Bioethical Issues*
Bioethics
Consensus
Cultural Diversity
Dissent and Disputes
Embryo, Mammalian
Ethical Relativism
Ethical Theory*
Freedom
History, 18th Century
History, 19th Century
History, 20th Century
History, 21st Century
History, Ancient
History, Medieval
Human Rights / history
Humans
Internationality
Moral Obligations
Morals*
Personhood
Population Groups / history
Religion
Retrospective Moral Judgment
Social Problems / history
War

From MEDLINE®/PubMed®, a database of the U.S. National Library of Medicine


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