Is Suffering a Useless Concept?
Ryan H. Nelson, Brent M. Kious, Emily A. Largent, Bryanna Moore, Jennifer Blumenthal‐Barby
Abstract
"Suffering" is a central concept within bioethics and often a crucial consideration in medical decision making. As used in practice, however, the concept risks being uninformative, ambiguous, or even misleading. In this paper, we consider a series of cases in which "suffering" is invoked and analyze them in light of prominent theories of suffering. We then outline ethical hazards that arise as a result of imprecise usage of the concept and offer practical recommendations for avoiding them. Appeals to suffering are often getting at something ethically important. But this is where the work of ethics begins, not where it ends.
Topics & Concepts
BioethicsEthical theoryEpistemologyEngineering ethicsPsychologyMedical ethicsPhilosophyLawPolitical sciencePsychiatryEngineeringEthics and Legal Issues in Pediatric HealthcareEthics in medical practicePalliative Care and End-of-Life Issues