A collection of recent essays by one of the leading names in bioethics, Baruch Brody discusses four major areas of bioethics--methodology, research ethics, clinical ethics, and Jewish medical ethics--and takes issue with conventional bioethical wisdom to carve out his own niche in the field, a niche that reflects orthodox Judaism, intuitionism, casuistry (case-based decision making), and a strong recognition of pluralism. His positions on animal research, brain death, and clinical trials are controversial and firmly held, leading Brody to be one of the most widely discussed bioethicists of his generation.

Introduction Part I. Methodology 1. Pluralistic Moral Theory2. Intuitions and Objective Moral Knowledge3. Assessing Empirical Research in Bioethics Part II. Research Ethics 4. Research Ethics: International Perspectives5. The Ethics of Controlled Clinical Trials6. In Cases of Emergency, No Need for Consent7. Making Informed Consent Meaningful8. When Are Placebo Controlled Trials No Longer Appropriate?9. Ethical Issues in Clinical Trials in Developing Countries10. The New Declaration of Helsinki May Be Dangerous to the Health of Developing Countries11. Defending Animal Research: An International Perspective Part III. Clinical Ethics 12. Withdrawl of Treatment versus Killing of Patients13. Special Ethical Issues in the Management of Persistent Vegetative State (PVS) Patients14. The Role of Futility in Health Care Reform15. How Much of the Brain Must Be Dead? Part IV. Jewish Medical Ethics 16. Jewish Reflections on Life and Death Decision Making17. A Historical Introduction to Jewish Casuistry on Suicide and Euthanasia18. The Use of Halakhik Material in Discussions of Medical Ethics Index