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44Cultivating the Virtue of Acknowledged ResponsibilityProceedings of the American Catholic Philosophical Association 82 249-261. 2008.In debates over issues such as abortion, a primary principle on which the Roman Catholic outlook is based is the natural law mandate to respect human life rooted in the Aristotelian philosophy of Thomas Aquinas. This principle, however, is limited by focusing on the obligation not to kill innocent humans and thereby neglects another important facet of the Aristotelian-Thomistic ethical viewpoint—namely, obligations that bind human beings in relationships of mutual dependence and responsibility. …Read more
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712Thomistic Principles and BioethicsRoutledge. 2006.Alongside a revival of interest in Thomism in philosophy, scholars have realised its relevance when addressing certain contemporary issues in bioethics. This book offers a rigorous interpretation of Aquinas's metaphysics and ethical thought, and highlights its significance to questions in bioethics. Jason T. Eberl applies Aquinas’s views on the seminal topics of human nature and morality to key questions in bioethics at the margins of human life – questions which are currently contested in the a…Read more
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33Advancing the Case for Organ ProcurementAmerican Journal of Bioethics 9 (8): 22-23. 2009.No abstract
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22Star Wars: The Force AwakensPhilosophy Now 115 48-50. 2016.Philosophical review of themes in 'Star Wars - Episode VII: The Force Awakens' by the co-editors of 'Star Wars and Philosophy' and 'The Ultimate Star Wars and Philosophy.'
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32Star Wars and Philosophy: More Powerful Than You Can Possibly Imagine (edited book)Open Court. 2005.The essays in this volume tackle the philosophical questions from these blockbuster films including: Was Anakin predestined to fall to the Dark Side? Are the Jedi truly role models of moral virtue? Why would the citizens and protectors of a democratic Republic allow it to descend into a tyrannical empire? Is Yoda a peaceful Zen master or a great warrior, or both? Why is there both a light and a dark side of the Force? Star Wars and Philosophy ponders the depths of these subjects and asks what it…Read more
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28Personal Identity and Resurrection: How Do We Survive Our Death? Edited by Georg Gasser (review)American Catholic Philosophical Quarterly 87 (4): 781-785. 2013.
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34Human Dignity in the Biotech Century (review)American Catholic Philosophical Quarterly 81 (3): 510-512. 2007.
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14Extraordinary Care and the Spiritual Goal of LifeThe National Catholic Bioethics Quarterly 5 (3): 491-501. 2005.
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30What Dignitas personae does not sayThe National Catholic Bioethics Quarterly 10 (1): 89-110. 2010.Dignitas personae has garnered significant attention both inside and outside Roman Catholic circles, but it lacks the argumentative force not only to present the Church’s ethical judgment but also to persuade non-sympathetic readers. More direct engagement with contrary views would provide a stronger foundation for constructing arguments in public discourse. This article highlights various assertions found in Dignitas personae which call for greater explicit argumentation. Subjects treated inclu…Read more
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27The Complex Nature of Jewish and Catholic BioethicsAmerican Journal of Bioethics 9 (11): 31-32. 2009.
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114Aquinas on Euthanasia, Suffering, and Palliative CareThe National Catholic Bioethics Quarterly 3 (2): 331-354. 2003.Euthanasia, today, is one of the most debated issues in bioethics. Euthanasia, at the time of Thomas Aquinas, was an unheard-of term. Nevertheless, while there is no direct statement with respect to “euthanasia” per se in the writings of Aquinas, Aquinas’s moral theory and certain theological commitments he held could be applied to the euthanasia question and thus bring Aquinas into contemporary bioethical debate. In this paper, I present the relevant aspects of Aquinas’s account of natural la…Read more
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20Review of John P. Lizza. Persons, Humanity, and the Definition of Death.1 (review)American Journal of Bioethics 7 (3): 55-57. 2007.
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6Review of Thomas Aquinas: Teacher and Scholar ed. James McEvoy, Michael W. Dunne and Julia Hynes (review)Philosophy 88 (1): 164-169. 2013.
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86Fetuses Are Neither Violinists nor ViolatorsAmerican Journal of Bioethics 10 (12): 53-54. 2010.This Article does not have an abstract
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43Dualist and Animalist Perspectives on DeathThe National Catholic Bioethics Quarterly 7 (3): 477-489. 2007.In this essay, I outline two contemporary metaphysical accounts of human nature—substance dualism and biological reductionism, also known as “animalism”—by elucidating the views of two representative theorists. I show how these two accounts conceive of death and which criteria for determining death--higher brain, whole-brain, or cardiopulmonary--each advocates. I will then contrast these accounts with Thomas Aquinas’s view of human nature and death.
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10The Routledge Guidebook to Aquinas‘ Summa TheologiaeRoutledge. 2015.The Routledge Guidebook to Aquinas‘ Summa Theologiae introduces readers to a work which represents the pinnacle of medieval Western scholarship and which has inspired numerous commentaries, imitators, and opposing views. Outlining the main arguments Aquinas utilizes to support his conclusions on various philosophical questions, this clear and comprehensive guide explores: The historical context in which Aquinas wrote A critical discussion of the topics outlined in the text including theology, me…Read more
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72A thomistic perspective on the beginning of personhood: ReduxBioethics 21 (5). 2007.Response to Jan Deckers' critique of the author's earlier article on the beginning of personhood from a Thomistic perspective in which the author revises and further refines his view.
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30Review of The American Thomistic Revival in the Philosophical Papers of R.J. Henle, S.J (review)American Catholic Philosophical Quarterly 76 (2): 345-348. 2002.
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14Sons of Anarchy and Philosophy: Brains Before Bullets (edited book)Wiley-Blackwell. 2013._“Brains before bullets” – ancient and modern wisdom for “mechanics and motorcycle enthusiasts”_ Essential reading for fans of the show, this book takes readers deeper into the Sons of Anarchy Motorcycle Club, the Teller-Morrow family, and the ethics that surround their lives and activities. Provides fascinating moral insights into _Sons of Anarchy_, its key characters, plot lines and ideas Investigates compelling philosophical issues centering on loyalty, duty, the ethics of war, authority, rel…Read more
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94Potentiality, Possibility, and the Irreversibility of DeathReview of Metaphysics 62 (1): 61-77. 2008.This paper considers the issue of cryopreservation and the definition of death from an Aristotelian-Thomistic perspective. A central conceptual focus throughout this discussion is the purportedly irreversible nature of death and the criteria by which a human body is considered to be informed by a rational soul. It concludes that a cryopreserved corpse fails to have “life potentially in it” sufficient to satisfy Aristotle’s definition of ensoulment. Therefore, if the possibility that such a corps…Read more
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25Examines theism versus atheism as depicted in the re-imagined sci-fi series Battlestar Galactica.
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13The Ultimate Star Trek and Philosophy: The Search for Socrates (edited book)Wiley-Blackwell. 2016.Reunites the editors of Star Trek and Philosophy with Starfleet’s finest experts for 31 new, highly logical essays Features a complete examination of the Star Trek universe, from the original series to the most recent films directed by J.J. Abrams, Star Trek and Star Trek Into Darkness Introduces important concepts in philosophy through the vast array of provocative issues raised by the series, such as the ethics of the Prime Directive, Star Trek’s philosophy of peace, Data and Voyager’s Doctor …Read more
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20Extraordinary Care and the Spiritual Goal of LifeThe National Catholic Bioethics Quarterly 5 (3): 491-501. 2005.Kevin O’Rourke argues that Aquinas’s concept of a “spiritual goal of life,” to which Pius XII refers in his famous allocution of 1957, serves as a basis for declaring that certain treatments, such as artificial nutrition and hydration [ANH] for patients in a persistent vegetative state [PVS], are “extraordinary” and thus morally optional. I examine whether O’Rourke properly interprets Aquinas’s concept in this regard and conclude that he is correct in his assessment and that ANH is properly und…Read more
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13Catholic Bioethics for a New Millenium. By Anthony Fisher (review)American Catholic Philosophical Quarterly 88 (1): 173-176. 2014.
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25Truly Human Enhancement: A Philosophical Defense of Limits, by Nicholas Agar (review)The National Catholic Bioethics Quarterly 15 (4): 781-784. 2015.
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72Aquinas on the Nature of Human BeingsReview of Metaphysics 58 (2): 333-365. 2004.IN THIS PAPER, I PROVIDE A FORMULATION of Thomas Aquinas’s account of the nature of human beings for the purpose of comparing it with other accounts in both the history of philosophy and contemporary analytic philosophy. I discuss how his apparently dualistic understanding of the relationship between soul and body yields the conclusion that a human being exists as a unified substance composed of a rational soul informing, that is, serving as the specific organizing principle of, a physical body.…Read more
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18Reply to BeauchampIn Arthur L. Caplan & Robert Arp (eds.), Contemporary debates in bioethics, Wiley-blackwell. pp. 25--431. 2014.
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1611Foundation for a Natural Right to Health CareJournal of Medicine and Philosophy 36 (6): 537-557. 2011.Discussions concerning whether there is a natural right to health care may occur in various forms, resulting in policy recommendations for how to implement any such right in a given society. But health care policies may be judged by international standards including the UN Universal Declaration of Human Rights. The rights enumerated in the UDHR are grounded in traditions of moral theory, a philosophical analysis of which is necessary in order to adjudicate the value of specific policies designed…Read more
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60Ontological Kinds Versus Biological SpeciesAmerican Journal of Bioethics 12 (9): 32-34. 2012.No abstract