The Hackett Introduction to Medical Ethics

The Hackett Introduction to Medical Ethics addresses key debates and analyzes prominent ethical perspectives on clinical medicine, healthcare policy, and human experimentation. Using numerous examples and case studies, Altman and Coe apply value theory to contemporary medical practice and trace the repercussions for such philosophical issues as autonomy, death, and justice. The book invites a range of readers to investigate urgent moral questions at the intersection of the body and social institutions.

Table of Contents & Introduction Preview: (PDF download)

Online Resources:

Click here to access the free online resources for The Hackett Introduction to Medical Ethics, including PowerPoint lecture slides, a sample syllabus, links to case studies (to help facilitate small group discussion and apply theoretical concepts), and more.

Reviews:

"With remarkable breadth and depth, Altman and Coe provide up-to-date discussions of both classic bioethical issues (such as informed consent and reproductive technologies) and more recent developments in the  field (such as relational autonomy and the impact of racial disparities on healthcare). The Hackett Introduction to Medical Ethics balances contemporary theory with clinical examples and cases in ways that will benefit both students and professionals in philosophy, bioethics, and healthcare."
—Jamie Watson, Cleveland Clinic Center for Bioethics and Cleveland Clinic Lerner College of Medicine

"Altman and Coe's fine book delivers on its promise, covering perennial issues and introducing new ways of thinking about those and emerging areas, including challenges to principlism; healthcare, social justice, and racial disparity; and collective responsibility. The latter is especially important as medical ethics rightly moves to a less Eurocentric, more nuanced way of thinking about what we should do and be."
—Dennis R. Cooley, Director, Northern Plains Ethics Institute, North Dakota State University

"This comprehensive yet accessible textbook is essential for students and healthcare professionals seeking a robust foundation to navigate and address some of the most intricate and pressing ethical challenges in medical practice."
​—Katrien Devolder, Professor of Applied Ethics, University of Oxford

"Altman and Coe's text is a much-needed pedagogical resource. It is well-written, accessible, and rigorous. It is steeped in the history of bioethical theory and yet freshly contemporary, bringing in new theoretical approaches and covering topics of immediate current concern. Its inclusion of sections on the COVID-19 pandemic and medical racism makes it especially useful in today's teaching environment."
—Quill Kukla, Philosophy and Disability Studies, Georgetown University

About the Authors:

Matthew C. Altman is Chair and Professor of Philosophy at Central Washington University and Commissioner for Kittitas County Public Hospital District No. 1.

Cynthia D. Coe is Professor of Philosophy at Central Washington University.