title: Practice precedes theory: doing bioethics "naturally" is there an ethicist in the house?: on the cutting edge of bioethics.
abstract: Jonathan Moreno argues that a pragmatic approach is the best approach for bioethicists and health care practitioners to use when confronted with difficult ethical problems. There is no one formula to which to appeal in determining which course of action is right or wrong when making decisions about hastening or prolonging life, for example. Instead the best decision that can be expected under the circumstances emerges as the result of a slow process of consensus building, negotiation, and compromise. Decision makers' interpretive and reflective skills need to be strengthened to achieve this type of ethical decision.
authors.affiliation: Department of Philosophy, Center for Professional and Applied Ethics, The University of North Carolina at Charlotte, 9201 University City Boulevard, Charlotte, NC 28223-0001, USA. rotong@email.uncc.edu
authors.forename: Rosemarie
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Tong
mesh_terms: D001675:Bioethics; D032921:Consensus; D003657:Decision Making; D049673:History, 20th Century; D049674:History, 21st Century; D006801:Humans