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Public philosophy: distinction without authority
1Department of Philosophy, Pacific Lutheran University, Tacoma, WA 98447.
The Journal of Medicine and Philosophy
|August 1, 1990
Summary
Philosophers can guide bioethical policy by clarifying options and challenging assumptions, but they do not dictate final policy. Their role involves critiquing culture and politics, not settling factual or political support issues.
Area of Science:
- Bioethics
- Philosophy of Public Policy
- Ethical Theory
Background:
- Normative ethical principles offer a framework but rarely substantive solutions for public policy.
- Bioethical policy formulation necessitates addressing complex underlying philosophical controversies.
Purpose of the Study:
- To define the specific and appropriate role of professional philosophers in bioethical public policy development.
- To delineate the boundaries of philosophical expertise in policy-making.
Main Methods:
- Conceptual analysis of the intersection between ethical theory and public policy.
- Examination of the philosopher's contribution to policy debates through clarification and argumentation.
- Distinguishing between philosophical competence and factual/political considerations.
Main Results:
- Philosophers should clarify ethical options, press for consistency, and engage in substantive argumentation.
- Philosophers retain a critical role regarding culture, politics, and their profession, even when political support is lacking.
- Philosophers lack authority over the philosophical presuppositions of public policy.
Conclusions:
- The philosopher's contribution to bioethical policy is primarily analytical and critical, not determinative.
- Effective bioethical policy requires integrating philosophical insights with factual and political realities.
- Philosophers must recognize the limits of their authority while embracing their role in public discourse.