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Book details

Buddhism and Bioethics

by Damien Keown

Published 2001224 pagesISBN 978-0-3339-1280-5

Does Buddhism have anything of value to contribute to contemporary discussions on medical ethics? Can there be a 'Buddhist view' on ethical problems? Does Buddhism hold that view to be objectively true rather than just a matter of 'personal opinion'? Buddhism and Bioethics gives affirmative answers to all these questions. It is the first book to provide a comprehensive discussion of a number of central issues in contemporary medical ethics from a Buddhist perspective. Written for a general readership it requires no prior knowledge of Buddhism, ethics or medicine, but will be of value to anyone with an interest in any, or all, of these subjects. Issues such as abortion, embryo research and euthanasia have been discussed exhaustively from the standpoint of Western philosophy and religion, but so far the voice of Buddhism has been little heard in the debate. Although widely respected for its benevolent and humanistic values, Buddhism has not so far shown how its ethical principles can be applied in a consistent manner to contemporary moral dilemmas. Drawing on both ancient and modern sources, this book sets out the basis of a Buddhist response to the major ethical questions posed by modern medicine.

Beyond its central premise, the book can be read through the connected lenses of Philosophy, Nonfiction. Those themes offer useful points of attention as the characters, ideas, or world develop, especially where the book complicates the expectations of its primary category.

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What the reading experience may hold

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Themes to notice

Philosophy · Nonfiction

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Content notes

No specific content concerns can be confirmed from the available English catalog information. Consult a publisher or reader-supplied guide when detailed warnings matter.

These notes are inferred from available catalog information and may not be complete. Check a publisher or reader-supplied guide if you need comprehensive warnings.

Reading experience

Balanced tone · Measured pace

A comfortable full-length choice for steady daily reading.

Who it may suit

A good fit if…

Readers who want a thoughtful experience and enjoy noticing the connections beneath a book’s surface story.

At a glance

This book's DNA

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ToneBalanced
LuminousDark

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Spoiler-Free Emotional Arc

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Spoiler-free
12345
PeakRelative emotional intensity
Buddhism and BioethicsDamien Keown
Heightened4.1/5

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Before you choose

A quick reading snapshot

Edition facts and catalog signals to help you decide whether this book fits what you want to read next.

Reading lengthA shorter read224 pages in this edition
Publication eraModernFirst published or edition dated 2001
Primary categoryPhilosophyAlso cataloged under Nonfiction
ISBN-13
978-0-3339-1280-5
Language
English
Edition record
OL9394155M
BookenDeX editorial lens

A more thoughtful way into this book

This guide uses the edition details and category signals above to help you choose deliberately. It does not replace the author's work or a full review.

Good to know

A comfortable full-length choice for steady daily reading.

Begin with its place in Philosophy, then notice where the book resists that label.

Try this reading approach

Read for connection, not completion.

Mark one passage that sharpens the book's central concern and one that complicates it. That tension often reveals more than a quick summary.

Three questions to carry with you

  1. What question is the author really asking beneath the book’s main argument?
  2. Which claim challenges one of your familiar assumptions?
  3. What remains unresolved—and is that uncertainty useful?

Editorial framework by Wesley Bryan, BookenDeX Founder and Editor.