Chris Kaczor, professor of philosophy at Loyola Marymount University in Los Angeles, recently published A Defense of Dignity: Creating Life, Destroying Life, and Protecting the Rights of Conscience (University of Notre Dame Press, 2013) as part of the Notre Dame Studies in Medical Ethics series.
The book addresses beginning- and end-of-life issues in light of the concept of “dignity.” “Kaczor investigates whether each human being has intrinsic dignity and whether the very concept of ‘dignity’ has a useful place in contemporary ethical debates.” Specific issue addressed include: ectopic pregnancy, the possibility of “rescuing” human embryos with human wombs or artificial wombs, physician-assisted suicide, provision of food and water to patients in a persistent vegetative state, how to proceed with organ donation following death. and conscience exceptions for health care professionals.