title: Public philosophy: distinction without authority.
abstract: An assumed core of normative ethical principles may constitute a philosophically proper framework within which public policy should be formulated, but it seldom provides any substantive solutions. To generate public policy on bioethical issues, participants still need to confront underlying philosophical controversies. Professional philosophers' proper role in that process is to clarify major philosophical options, to press wider-ranging consistency questions, and to bring more parties into the philosophical debate itself by arguing for particular substantive claims. Though questions of fact that mediate final policy conclusions frequently fall outside philosophical competence, one sort of fact, lack of political support, should seldom cause philosophers to stand aside; philosophers still have an important role as critics of culture, politics, and profession. They have no authority, however, on even the philosophical presuppositions of public policy.
authors.affiliation: Department of Philosophy, Pacific Lutheran University, Tacoma, WA 98447.
authors.forename: P T
authors.initials: PT
authors.lastname: Menzel
mesh_terms: D026683:Advisory Committees; D026688:Bioethical Issues; D018864:Cultural Diversity; D026689:Ethical Analysis; D028663:Ethical Theory; D026822:Ethicists; D028741:Ethics Committees, Clinical; D004992:Ethics, Medical; D006291:Health Policy / Q000331:legislation & jurisprudence*; D006297:Health Services Accessibility / Q000331:legislation & jurisprudence; D006801:Humans; D033183:Interdisciplinary Communication; D028681:Moral Obligations; D009014:Morals; D026684:Personal Autonomy; D028723:Personhood; D010686:Philosophy, Medical; D040841:Resource Allocation; D012945:Social Values; D009927:Tissue and Organ Procurement / Q000331:legislation & jurisprudence; D014481:United States; D026712:Value of Life