Call me Doctor? Confessions of a hospital philosopher

Accustomed as many of us have become in the era of clinical bioethics to the idea of a "hospital philosopher", on reflection the historical novelty of the role is astonishing, as are its ambiguities. As a result of considering my own experience I found myself writing this miniature intellectual autobiography. In the course of this essay I raise two specific questions: what can the Western philosophical tradition contribute to the clinical setting; and (a question that is rarely asked), what are the implications of this experience for that tradition?