Medical Ethics in Antiquity: Philosophical Perspectives on Abortion and Euthanasia PDF
Preview Medical Ethics in Antiquity: Philosophical Perspectives on Abortion and Euthanasia
MEDICAL ETHICS IN ANTIQUITY Philosophy and Medicine VOLUME 18 Editors H. Tristram Engelhardt, Jr., Center for Ethics, Medicine, and Public Issues, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, Texas and Philosophy Department, Rice University, Houston, Texas Stuart F. Spicker, Center for Ethics, Medicine, and Public Issues, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, Texas Associate Editor Kevin W. Wildes, SJ., Department of Philosophy, Georgetown University, Washington, D.C. Editorial Board George J. Agich, School of Medicine, Southern Illinois University, Springfield, Illinois Edmund Erde, University of Medicine and Dentistry of New Jersey, Camden, New Jersey Patricia A. King, J.D., Georgetown University Law Center, Washington, D.C. E. Haavi Morreim, Department of Human Values and Ethics, College of Medicine, University of Tennessee, Memphis, Tennessee The titles published in this series are listed at the end of this volume. PAUL CARRICK Department of Philosophy, Temple University, Philadelphia MEDICAL ETHICS IN ANTIQUITY Philosophical Perspectives on Abortion and Euthanasia Kluwer Academic Publishers Dordrecht / Boston / London Library of Congress Cataloging in Publication Data Carrick, Paul, 1946- Medical ethics in antiquity. (Philosophy and medicine; v. 18) Bibliography: p. Includes index. 1. Medical ethics. 2. Medicine, Ancient. 3. Abortion-Moral and ethical aspects. 4. Euthanasia-Moral and ethical aspects. 1. Title. II. Series. R724.C354 1985 174'.24 85-1878 ISBN·13: 978·90-277·1915-7 e-ISBN-13: 978-94·009-5235-5 DOl: 10.1007/978-94-009-5235-5 Published by Kluwer Academic Publishers, P.O. Box 17, 3300 AA Dordrecht, The Netherlands. Kluwer Academic Publishers incorporates the publishing programmes of D. Reidel, Martinus Nijhoff, Dr W. Junk and MTP Press. Sold and distributed in the U.S.A. and Canada by Kluwer Academic Publishers, 101 Philip Drive, Norwell, MA 02061. U.S.A. In all other countries, sold and distributed by Kluwer Academic Publishers Group, P.O. Box 322, 3300 AH Dordrecht, The Netherlands. 03-1194-200 ts (pb) 03-1194-100 ts (hb) Printed on acid-free paper All Rights Reserved © 1995 Kluwer Academic Publishers Softcover reprint of the hardcover 1s t edition 1995 No part of the material protected by this copyright notice may be reproduced or utilized in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopying, recording or by any information storage and retrieval system, without written permission from the copyright owner. For Carol. Ben. and Jon Sleep and Death lifting the body of Sarpedon: Attic red-figured krater. c. SIS B.C. Medicine heals diseases of the body; wisdom frees the soul from passions. - Democritus, Fragments Life is short, the art long, opportunity fleeting, experiment treacherous, judgment difficult. - Hippocrates, Aphorisms For a physician who is a lover of wisdom is the equal of a god. - Hippocrates, Decorum TABLE OF CONTENTS FOREWORD xiii PREFACE xvii ACKNOWLEDGMENT xxi INTRODUCTION xxiii PART ONE / THE SOCIAL AND SCIENTIFIC SETTING 1/ THE STATUS OF THE PHYSICIAN 3 Types of Physicians 3 Egyptian Influences 7 The Problem of Licensure 8 The Relationship Between Physicians and Philosophers 11 II / THEORIES OF HEALTH AND DISEASE 15 The Hippocratic Humoral Theory 15 The Democritean Atomistic Theory 24 Plato and Aristotle 25 The Medical Sects 30 The Gale)1ic Constitutional Theory 31 III / ATTITUDES TOWARD DEATH 39 Divine and Chthonic Personal Immortality 40 Natural Personal Dissolution 43 Poetic and Popular Images 46 Plato and Aristotle 49 Epicurean Insights 52 Summary 54 PART TWO / THE RISE OF MEDICAL ETHICS IV / WHO WAS HIPPOCRATES? 59 Medical Ethics Before Hippocrates 59 The Puzzle of Hippocrates' Identity 63 ix x TABLE OF CONTENTS v I THE HIPPOCRATIC OATH 69 The Authorship Question 71 The Prohibition Against Surgery 72 The Covenant Reconsidered 76 The Ethical Code 77 Abortion and Euthanasia 81 The Oath's Date and Origins Reconsidered 87 Medical Etiquette 88 Summary 94 PART THREE / ABORTION AND EUTHANASIA VI I THE PROBLEM OF ABORTION 99 Preliminary Considerations 101 Contraception 104 Methods of Abortion and Infanticide 107 Midwives 109 Philosophical Perspectives 110 Pythagoras 110 Plato 112 Aristotle 115 Seneca 119 Summary 124 VII I THE PROBLEM OF EUTHANASIA 127 Preliminary Considerations 127 Suicide and Language 127 Types and Methods 131 Philosophical Perspectives 134 Pythagoras 134 Plato 136 Aristotle 141 Seneca 144 Summary 148 VIII I THE PHYSICIAN'S MORAL RESPONSIBILITY 151 Abortion 151 Euthanasia 154 "Do No Harm" 156 Summary 158 TABLE OF CONTENTS xi IX I CONCLUSION 161 Diverse Medical Ethical Perspectives 161 Physicians and Philosophers 164 Physicians and Patients 166 Physicians and the State 168 X I EPILOGUE 171 Future Prospects 171 A Contemporary Appraisal 174 The Biomedical Revolution 174 Perennial Issues 180 Confidentiality 181 Abortion and Euthanasia 182 Truth-Telling 182 Distribu tive Justice 183 Professional Commitment 185 APPENDICES 187 Appendix A Principles of Medical Ethics 188 Appendix B A Patient's Bill of Rights 189 Appendix C Declaration of Geneva 193 NOTES 195 SELECT BIBLIOGRAPHY 225 INDEX 233
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