Thomistic Principles and Bioethics Book

Acknowledgments     ix
List of Aquinas's works and abbreviations     xi
Introduction     1
Aquinas's account of human nature and natural law theory     4
Introduction     4
Aquinas's account of human nature     4
Aquinas's natural law theory     9
Aquinas and the principle of double effect     17
Conclusion     21
The beginning of a human person's life     23
Introduction     23
Aquinas's account of human embryogenesis     24
Recent interpretations     26
Conclusion     42
The end of a human person's life     43
Introduction     43
Aquinas's account of human death     43
Recent interpretations     45
Conclusion     60
Issues at the beginning of human life: abortion, embryonic stem cell research, and cloning     62
Introduction     62
Abortion and abortifacient contraceptives     62
Human embryonic stem cell research     65
Therapeutic and reproductive human cloning     78
Conclusion     93
Issues at the end of human life: PVS patients, euthanasia, and organ donation     95
Introduction     95
Metaphysical and moral status of PVS patients     95
Euthanasia     98
Organ donation     116
Conclusion     126
Notes     128
Bibliography     137
Index     151