In this updated edition of a classic text, May considers the overarching images that shape the convictions and daily practice of the physician. Taking a step back from the procedures and quandaries that are the focal points of many books on ethics, he explores the moral power of images in understanding the healer and defining his or her tasks. In this volume he updates his reflections on five images of the healer: parent, fighter, technician, teacher, and covenanter. The book also contains new material on the ethics of access to health care, genetic technologies, and physician-assisted suicide.At a time when medical professionals are questioning their own roles, May offers ethical understanding based on moral reflection. He sets forth images that can shape and order experience, presenting the practitioner with imperatives by which to live. This book will challenge physicians, students, and teachers of medical ethics to reach a deeper understanding of the physician's place in society.
