Abstract

We sometimes forget that medical ethics has a history, and that many of the issues we discuss today have already been discussed many times previously. As the field grows older, and the pioneers retire, we are, however, given some opportunity to recognise that there is in fact such a history, and that we could learn much from paying attention to it. A number of histories of bioethics have been published, and collections centred around the work of major figures are also starting to appear.Journal of Medical Ethics 2001;27:206–214 The present volume is a collection of papers centred around a critical discussion …