Iowe a colossal debt of gratitude to Tom L. Beauchamp and James F. Childress for their pioneering work, Principles of Biomedical Ethics, 6th ed. (New York: Oxford University Press, 2008). What I’m calling the first four principles of ethical intelligence are a reiteration of what Beauchamp and Childress call the principles of nonmaleficence, beneficence, respect for autonomy, and justice. What I refer to as principle 5, or the duty to be loving, is simply another way of presenting the ethics of care that Beauchamp and Childress have adopted from virtue ethics. All I’ve done, really, is to translate Beauchamp and Childress’s philosophically rich ideas into terms that may be more accessible to those who live and work outside academia. Thus nonmaleficence becomes Do No Harm, beneficence becomes Make Things Better, and so forth. I’m also applying these principles beyond the world of health care since I believe they provide the foundation not just for physicians, nurses, dentists, pharmacists, and researchers but for everyone. But I can in no way claim the principles of ethical intelligence as my own. I was extremely fortunate to be able to study with Tom L. Beauchamp when I was a graduate student at Georgetown University, and my work would not be possible without his and James F. Childress’s contributions to ethical theory.
During my first four years of writing an ethics column for what is now Bloomberg Businessweek online, I was blessed to have Patricia O’Connell as my editor. Patricia is that rare literary professional: an editor who considers her mission to be helping writers make the strongest possible arguments rather than imposing her point of view on the work. Reasonable people can disagree about many things, and not once did Patricia ever tell me that I was wrong. But she often told me — and rightly so — that I wasn’t making a convincing case for whatever position I was arguing for or against. It was through Patricia’s careful guidance that I developed many of the ideas in this book, and I am grateful to her for helping me express these ideas as clearly as possible and support them with the strongest possible arguments.
I have been lucky to work with another fabulous editor, Jason Gardner of New World Library. His comments on an earlier draft helped me to clarify muddled points, strengthen arguments, and provide a more satisfying structure to the book. May all writers have an editor who is such a joy to work with! For the past year and a half, I’ve road tested the concept of ethical intelligence thanks to Michael Frick, who manages my speaking engagements through his company, the Core Speakers Agency. My heartfelt thanks for a job well done also go to my literary agent, Nena Madonia, and to Jan Miller, both of Dupree/Miller Associates.
Jeff Clarkson helped me navigate through some of the tricky legal waters that this project required before going full-sail with it, and Mark Colucci went far beyond his duties as copyeditor and suggested many substantive changes that were most valuable.
Once again, my colleague and friend, Robert Timko, who recently retired as professor and chair of the Department of Philosophy and interim dean of arts and sciences at Mansfield University, reviewed the manuscript from a philosophical perspective and offered numerous helpful suggestions for improving it. Diana A. Goldberg, executive director of SungateKids, a nonprofit children’s advocacy agency in Denver, signed off on my discussion of the legal rights of children in chapter 2, which is great because she is an expert in this area, and I am not.
David Maltsberger, associate professor of biblical studies and archaeology at Baptist University of the Americas, validated the cultural claims I made about several religious traditions; how nice to benefit from the wisdom and kindness of a fine fellow who was in my fifth-grade class at Harmony Hills Elementary School in San Antonio, Texas, many years ago. Dr. Omar Manejwala and Mr. Chuck Rice took time from their busy schedules at Hazelden in Center City, Minnesota, to review the story about the alcoholic boss and to answer several questions I had about addiction and recovery. Meg Owen helped me organize my voluminous files and continues to fight against the entropy that inevitably creeps into my office workspace (but for which I take full responsibility, in keeping with the guidelines for apologizing with ethical intelligence).
Quiet and solitude are two essential components of the writer’s life, and my beloved bride, Kristen Bancroft, was extraordinarily generous in giving me the gift of both of these valuable commodities when I needed them. But wait! There’s more! Kristen also reviewed the entire manuscript and helped me make every chapter better. It is a blessing to be married to someone who is so brilliant, loving, and kind.
What a loving family I have in Sheila, Liz, and Rachel Weinstein (mother and sisters, respectively), Carlee and Sammy Daylor (niece and nephew), and my terrific mother-in-law, Judy Bancroft. They show me, on a regular basis, what it means to live by the fifth principle of ethical intelligence. Although my father isn’t with us any longer, I am beholden to him and my mom for teaching me ethics and for having lively discussions about ethical issues with my sisters and me during most of our family dinners.
My grandfather used to say, “If at the end of your life, you can count all of your true friends on one hand, then you have done well.” Although I’m not close to the end of my life (I hope), I can say that I have been blessed with four terrific friends who have been on this journey with me for many, many years. They are Edward Askinazi, Jeffrey L. Clarkson, William Wells Hood, and B. David Joffe, to whom I have dedicated this book with respect and gratitude.