The Way of Medicine

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Today's medicine is spiritually deflated and morally adrift; this work explains the reasons behind this and offers an ethical framework to renew practitioners' commitment to healing. It addresses fundamental questions about the nature and purpose of medicine and what it means to be a good doctor. The authors challenge the prevailing model of healthcare that emphasizes a mere provider of services, where clinicians avoid asserting what is truly beneficial for patients, opting instead to focus on subjective well-being. They advocate for a return to the Way of Medicine, which provides physicians with a pathway out of this model and the moral resources to resist political, institutional, and cultural pressures that frame the doctor-patient relationship as an economic exchange. Drawing from the scholarship of Leon Kass, Alasdair MacIntyre, and John Finnis, the authors explore key themes such as the essence of medicine, the ultimate goal of health, the dynamics of the doctor-patient relationship, and various clinical ethical issues. In the final chapter, they engage in the debate surrounding conscience in medicine, arguing that physicians should confidently advocate for what is good for their patients, thereby promoting good medicine. This exploration is intended for medical students, healthcare professionals, and scholars of bioethics and medical ethics.