Abstract
This chapter provides an account of the nature of American bioethics which the author depicts as intrinsically political, i.e., biopolitics. Influenced by the political philosophy of John Stuart Mill, American bioethics seeks to limit the power of the state and enhance individual liberties through a range of measures taken by the government to promote public health. What the author calls “the Mill doctrine” finds its applications in various public health care contexts (e.g., vaccination, sterilization, abortion, obesity, and health care reform) to protect negative rights, i.e., the noninterference by the state with individual rights, or to uphold positive rights, i.e., the right to adequate health care provided by the government. American bioethics qua biopolitics is a work in progress that continuously evolves. Current trends focus more on economic issues than public health concerns.
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Cases Cited
Buck v. Bell, 274 U.S. 200 (1927).
Gonzales v. Carhart, 550 U.S. 124 (2007).
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Roe v. Wade, 410 U.S. 113 (1973).
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Annas, G.J. (2013). American Biopolitics. In: Garrett, J., Jotterand, F., Ralston, D. (eds) The Development of Bioethics in the United States. Philosophy and Medicine, vol 115. Springer, Dordrecht. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-94-007-4011-2_7
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