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550 Voices of Disbelief: Why We Are Atheists (edited book)Wiley-Blackwell. 2009.50 Voices of Disbelief: Why We Are Atheists presents a collection of original essays drawn from an international group of prominent voices in the fields of academia, science, literature, media and politics who offer carefully considered statements of why they are atheists. Features a truly international cast of contributors, ranging from public intellectuals such as Peter Singer, Susan Blackmore, and A.C. Grayling, novelists, such as Joe Haldeman, and heavyweight philosophers of religion, includ…Read more
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150 Great Myths About Atheism (edited book)Wiley-Blackwell. 2013.Tackling a host of myths and prejudices commonly leveled at atheism, this captivating volume bursts with sparkling, eloquent arguments on every page. The authors rebut claims that range from atheism being just another religion to the alleged atrocities committed in its name. An accessible yet scholarly commentary on hot-button issues in the debate over religious belief Teaches critical thinking skills through detailed, rational argument Objectively considers each myth on its merits Includes a hi…Read more
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12The standard of care debate: against the myth of an "international consensus opinion"Journal of Medical Ethics 30 (2): 194-197. 2004.It is argued by Lie et al in the current issue of the Journal of Medical Ethics that an international consensus opinion has formed on the issue of standards of care in clinical trials undertaken in developing countries. This opinion, so they argue, rejects the Declaration of Helsinki’s traditional view on this matter. They propose furthermore that the Declaration of Helsinki has lost its moral authority in the controversy in research ethics. Although the latter conclusion is supported by this au…Read more
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Drugs and Responsibility--The Foundations and Methods of Pharma-ethicsBioethics 10 (2): 170-172. 1996.
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1Medical professionalism and ideological symbols in doctors' roomsJournal of Medical Ethics 32 (1): 1-2. 2006.Is it time to leave the non-professional aspects of personal life at the door and face patients as medical professionals and no more?Ever wondered about the appropriateness of Christian doctors displaying pictures of Pope Benedict, Muslim doctors displaying pictures of Osama son of Laden or former PLO leader Yassir Arafat, or gay doctors proudly flying the rainbow flag in their rooms? I suggest that we should be concerned about such display of religious, political, or other allegiance to non-pro…Read more
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14Affordable Access to Essential Medication in Developing Countries: Conflicts Between Ethical and Economic Imperatives1Journal of Medicine and Philosophy 27 (2): 179-195. 2002.Recent economic and political advances in developing countries on the African continent and South East Asia are threatened by the rising death and morbidity rates of HIV/AIDS. In the first part of this paper we explain the reasons for the absence of affordable access to essential AIDS medication. In the second part we take a closer look at some of the pivotal frameworks relevant for this situation and undertake an ethical analysis of these frameworks. In the third part we discuss a few of the pr…Read more
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10Patient Access to Experimental Drugs and AIDS Clinical Trial Designs: Ethical IssuesCambridge Quarterly of Healthcare Ethics 5 (3): 400. 1996.Today's clinical AIDS research is in trouble. Principal investigators are confronted with young and frequently highly knowledgeable patients. Many of these people with AIDS are often unwilling to adhere to the trial protocols. These PWAs believe they are ethically justified in breaching trial protocols because they do not consider themselves true volunteers in such trials. PWAs argue that they do not really volunteer because existing legislation prevents them from buying and using experimental d…Read more
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7Why medical professionals have no moral claim to conscientious objection accommodation in liberal democraciesJournal of Medical Ethics 43 (4): 234-240. 2017.We describe a number of conscientious objection cases in a liberal Western democracy. These cases strongly suggest that the typical conscientious objector does not object to unreasonable, controversial professional services—involving torture, for instance—but to the provision of professional services that are both uncontroversially legal and that patients are entitled to receive. We analyse the conflict between these patients' access rights and the conscientious objection accommodation demanded …Read more
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2Voices of Disbelief (edited book)Wiley-Blackwell. 2009.50 Voices of Disbelief: Why We Are Atheists presents acollection of original essays drawn from an international group ofprominent voices in the fields of academia, science, literature,media and politics who offer carefully considered statements of whythey are atheists. Features a truly international cast of contributors, rangingfrom public intellectuals such as Peter Singer, Susan Blackmore,and A.C. Grayling, novelists, such as Joe Haldeman, and heavyweightphilosophers of religion, including Gra…Read more
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8Unethical Perinatal HIV Transmission Trials Establish Bad PrecedentBioethics 12 (4): 312-319. 1998.
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5Treatment-resistant major depressive disorder and assisted dying: response to commentsJournal of Medical Ethics 41 (8): 589-591. 2015.
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8The Moral Case for Granting Catastrophically Ill Patients the Right to Access Unregistered Medical InterventionsJournal of Law, Medicine and Ethics 45 (3): 382-391. 2017.Using the case of Ebola Virus Disease as an example, this paper shows why patients at high risk for death have a defensible moral claim to access unregistered medical interventions, without having to enrol in randomized placebo controlled trials.A number of jurisdictions permit and facilitate such access under emergency circumstances. One controversial question is whether patients should only be permitted access to UMI after trials investigating the interventions are fully recruited. It is argue…Read more
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19Treatment-resistant major depressive disorder and assisted dyingJournal of Medical Ethics 41 (8): 577-583. 2015.
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4The bioethics tabloids: How professional ethicists have fallen for the myth of tertiary transmitted heterosexual AIDS (review)Health Care Analysis 3 (1): 27-36. 1995.The hysteria and misconceptions about AIDS which are fostered and held by the popular press have been accepted uncritically by many bioethicists, who have not bothered to explore popular empirical claims in sufficient depth. As a result, and because ethicists attempt tosell moral problems in a manner not much different from the way the popular press attempt tosell newspapers, artificial dilemmas have been produced in professional journals. We concentrate on just one popular misconception about A…Read more
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7Terminal illness and access to phase 1 experimental agents, surgeries and devices: Reviewing the ethical argumentsBritish Medical Bulletin 89 (1): 7-22. 2009.Background: The advent of AIDS brought about a group of patients unwilling to accept crucial aspects of the methodological standards for clinical research investigating Phase 1 drugs, surgeries or devices. Their arguments against placebo controls in trials, which depended-at the time-on the terminal status of patient volunteers led to a renewed discussion of the ethics of denying patients with catastrophic illnesses access to last-chance experimental drugs, surgeries or devices. Sources of data:…Read more
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12The Ethics of Genetic Research on Sexual OrientationHastings Center Report 27 (4): 6-13. 1997.Research into the genetic component of some complex behaviors often causes controversy, depending on the social meaning and significance of the behavior under study. Research into sexual orientation—simplistically referred to as “gay gene” research—is an example of research that provokes intense controversy. This research is worrisome for many reasons, including the fact that it has been used to harm lesbians and gay men. Many homosexual people have been forced to undergo “treatments” to change …Read more
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The ethics of clinical AIDS vaccine trials in developing countries-a critical commentaryMonash Bioethics Review 13 (4): 13-14. 1994.
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3Status, Careers and Influence in BioethicsAmerican Journal of Bioethics 5 (5): 64-66. 2005.No abstract