Abstract
Researchers in the field of bioethics have increasingly been confronted with empirical research on bioethical questions. This development has raised the question as to the extent to which empirical contributions both relate to normative approaches in bioethics and aspire to achieve normative statements about the topics under study. Therefore, in this article we aim to reflect on the contribution of empirical research to normative ethical reflection and decision-making. Firstly, we describe narrative. Narratives allow us to reflect on moral dilemmas in ways that are different to what a theoretical approach allows. Secondly, we describe the different contributions that empirical research could have for ethical reflection and decision-making, as is described in the literature. Thirdly, we describe the critical applied ethics model, which is a theoretical approach for viewing the interaction between empirical data and normative theories as a two-way relationship.
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Ives, J., M. Dunn, and A. Cribb, eds. 2016. Empirical Bioethics: Theoretical and Practical Perspectives, (Cambridge Bioethics and Law). Cambridge: Cambridge University Press. https://doi.org/10.1017/9781139939829
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Combining discussions of meta-ethical challenges, examples of different methodologies for integrating empirical and normative research, and reflection on the challenges of conducting and publishing such work, this book is a nice introduction to the relationship between empirical and normative approaches in bioethics.
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Widdershoven G., T. Hope, L. van der Scheer, and J. Mcmillan, eds. 2008. Empirical Ethics in Psychiatry. Oxford: Oxford University Press. ISBN: 9780199297368.
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The book provides a nice collection on articles that discuss the possibility of empirical ethics from a theoretical standpoint and an overview of the history of empirical medical ethics in general. Moreover, the book provides examples of empirical research with ethical implications in the domain of psychiatry.
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Porz, R., Borry, P. (2020). Combining Empirical Data and Normativity: Possible or Not?. In: Gielen, J. (eds) Dealing with Bioethical Issues in a Globalized World . Advancing Global Bioethics, vol 14. Springer, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-30432-4_9
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