Medical Ethics A Very Short Introduction - Book Review

One of the things that has come to my attention recently is that my own knowledge of ethical concepts and particularly medical ethics was extremely limited. Therefore in the hope to educate myself on this topic I bought a book named: Medical Ethics A Very Short Introduction by Tony Hope. The book itself was ideal for introducing anyone to the basics of medical ethics, explaining extremely well the different terminology within this subject and also introducing different ideas and points of view, there was also a chapter on how to construct an ethical argument, which was particularly useful.

Within the book itself there were different chapters that each focused specifically on one ethical dilemma, these included:

• euthanasia
• the value of life - funding within medicine and how to allocate funding 
• pre-birth ethics - including the idea of should anyone be allowed IVF 
• genetics - how modern genetics is testing confidentiality 
• medical research 
• mental illness and the inconsistencies with the mentally ill
• everyday ethical dilemmas

A Brief synopsis of ethical terms:

From this book I learnt particularly about different ethical terms and views, below I will attempt to define what these mean, from what I have learnt from this book, and what I have learnt from further research on basic ethical terms. 

• Absolutism - those who believe in this will have the view that there is only one correct approach to the moral life, regardless of persons and cultures
• Altruism - regard for others, the opposite of egoism 
• Autonomy - the capacity to think, decide, and act on the basis of such though and decision, freely and independently. The idea that one should respect the individuals self-determination
• Beneficence - the moral importance of doing good to others, one should help others and increase the good of others when one is knowingly in the position to do so
• Confidentiality - one should keep one's promises about information, a subset of fidelity
• Deontological (non-consequentialist) theories - the idea that the values of actions lie in the motives not the consequences
• Duty - an action due by moral or legal obligation 
• Fidelity - principle that one should keep one's promises
• Justice - the idea of fairness, one gives what is owed and therefore deserved
• Morality - the science of human duty
• Non-maleficience - the principle that one should avoid harming others
• Paternalism - the idea that a person's liberty can justifiably be restricted in order to prevent self-had or to promote the person's well-being
• Utilitarianism - the view that an act is right if it leads to the maximisation of good consequences for the most people
• Veracity - the principle that one should tell the truth 

The book itself was extremely short, being less than 150 pages, but as a consequence it was extremely concise and effective in informing me on the basics of medical ethics. It opened my eyes to ethical situations that I had not considered, such as whether we have the right to detain a mentally ill patient against their will. It also provided me with a new perspective on many views, such as the value of human life, if everyone should be allowed IVF and the restrictions we put on medical research.

However, out of everything this book was extremely useful in presenting everyday situations the doctors encounter related to ethics, which is helpful in informing me of future complications I could potentially face when I am a doctor myself.