Book Review
Health and Human Values, by Frank Harron,
John Burnside, M. D. and Tom Beauchamp.
Reviewed by John M. Frame, Associate
Professor of Apologetics and Systematic Theology,
Theological Seminary in
This book is a very
useful survey of the issues in modern medical ethics. It contains discussions
of abortion, euthanasia, the meaning of death, organ transplants, informed
consent, the role of government in health care, genetic engineering. Introducing
the book (and appearing throughout) is material dealing with ethical
philosophy: deontologism (rule-ethics), utilitarianism (ethics based on
judgments concerning the consequences of actions- "the greatest good for
the greatest number"), and various modifications and combinations of
these.
There are some
difficult discussions here, but the format generally maintains the reader's
interest. Topics are usually introduced with case studies presenting "moral dilemmas": e.g., should Joseph Saikewicz, a sixty-seven year
old man with a mental age of two years, eight months, be given painful
treatments for an incurable, terminal leukemia, even though he would be utterly
incapable of understanding the purpose of this pain (p. 1)? The book presents
arguments on various sides of the issues. Generally the editors try not to take
positions, though at points their (liberal) bias is evident (as in the
description of the abortion readings in the Leader's Manual, p. 5). The editors
outline the issues, then include brief readings from
various viewpoints. There are study questions, bibliographies, suggested audio-visual materials.
Occasionally there
is some reference to theology, as in the chapter on the definition of death.
Generally, however, this is a secular book. Despite its being funded by a grant
from the United
The book is useful,
however, in helping us sharpen our minds about the difficult issues. It is
certainly true that there are "gray areas" in ethics, areas where it
is difficult to be dogmatic. But is this the best way to teach ethics? Some
exposure to material like this is necessary, I think. But if the teacher's goal
is to help students become more ethical, more just and merciful in their
decisions, then in my view it is counter-productive to spend the bulk of our
time on this sort of thing. It is better, rather, to immerse ourselves in
Scripture-to learn from God those ethical principles that are not gray, not
negotiable. For that purpose, there are many fine