A Review:

“Medical ethics is coming of age. Ethics, like medicine, should and can bring the best in basic theory to the bedside. This collaborative effort between a physician (the late Ronald Christie) and a philosopher is not the last word, but it is among the best. The authors begin with a coherent theory of what family practice ought to be and apply classical and contemporary ethical theory to the diverse ethical problems which confront a family practitioner on a daily basis. They address the physician who wants to know, What ethical problems should I think about? and How should I think about these problems? They present a comprehensive and integrated work without being simplistic. They avoid the exotic issues which have dominated medical ethics and concentrate on the mundane conflicts of primary care and office practice. They incorporate and critically analyze major authors rather than merely summarize them. Their writing is sophisticated yet intelligible to any educated reader. They are clinical without being algorithmic, practical without being prescriptive. They take positions which are nuanced without abdicating the responsibility to be clear and accountable. They are modest but not bashful, confident but not arrogant. This is applied medical ethics at its best.”

Norman Fost, “Book Notes,” Ethics, Vol. 98, No. 2 (January, 1988), pp. 434-435.

Dr. Barry Hoffmaster co-authored this book with Dr. Ronald J. Christie. It is not available online here. If you are affiliated with Western University, please use the Shared Library Catalogue's Classic Search to check whether the book is available in Western Libraries.

If you are not affiliated with Western University, search WorldCat to find out where you can get access to the book.