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As a recognizable and credible discipline entitled to comment, guide, and pass judgment on the broad operation of biomedicine, bioethics has become fully established only during the past few decades. Taking in aspects both of ethics in general—with a particular focus on the practicalities of applied morality—and of relevant legal tenets, the discipline has recently emerged as the source of authoritative evaluation for a range of biomedical issues covering not only the behavior and practice of professional providers and users of health care systems but also bioscientific research and development. At the same time, contemporary bioethicists are increasingly expected to participate in the public debate about what are broadly seen as biomedical dilemmas, particularly those arising from the new technologies. They are called on to resolve problems, to adjudicate between rival opinions or suggested courses of action …