title: An apology for Socratic bioethics.
abstract: Bioethics is a hybrid discipline. As a theoretical enterprise it stands for untrammeled inquiry and argument. Yet it aims to influence medical practice and policy. In this article we explore tensions between these two dimensions of bioethics and examine the merits and perils of a "Socratic" approach to bioethics that challenges "the conventional wisdom."
authors.affiliation: Department of Bioethics, National Institutes of Health, Building 10, Room 1C118, Bethesda, MD 20892-1156, USA. fmiller@nih.gov
authors.forename: Franklin G
authors.initials: FG
authors.lastname: Miller
authors.forename: Robert D
authors.initials: RD
authors.lastname: Truog