"Principles of biomedical ethics" : un bilancio

The latest edition of Beauchamp and Childress' Principles of Biomedical Ethics presents principlism in its definitive version and develops most explicitly the theory of common morality: on one side, in its two pillars of norms and virtues, on the other in the peculiar epistemic structure of a modified coherentism. This account fully replies to the objections raised by defenders of virtue ethics and the ethics of care, providing room for the consideration of character traits, moral ideals and supererogation. Less convincing is the way in which the two authors have replied to the charges of scarce actionguidingness and of a lack of theoretical unification in their theory. [Publisher's text].