Bioethics as a Discipline

Abstract

One of the beguiling phrases I have picked up from reading scientific and medical journals is “anecdotal evidence.” The careful researcher does not claim too much for evidence of that kind; he knows its scientific limitations. I must confess to the perversity of often finding evidence of that sort more suggestive than the solid, well-confirmed kind. It is surely far more interesting to collect. The topic of “bioethics as a discipline” invites a good deal of anecdotal evidence, and I intend to indulge fully in the pleasures of retailing my own experiences. For the sake of decency, I will maintain the confidentiality of my clinical records, shielding the names of the innocent and the guilty.