ABSTRACT
This chapter provides a critical review of the contemporary state of the field of bioethics within the Western, English-language context. It outlines the main current areas of activity in the field, setting out some of the limitations to investigation, before discussing some areas of recent theoretical and methodological innovation that provide the basis for some optimism for the future. These innovative approaches to bioethics, including feminist ethics, public health ethics, and global ethics, drawing from African ethics and First Nations ethics, have a common focus on ideas of community and connection. These perspectives provide invigorating and robust perspectives on human interaction, and capture the depth and richness of human agency and our relations with each other and the world. This chapter argues that bioethics should turn to such approaches to expand our repertoire of values and methodologies. This will allow bioethicists to address a much broader set of ethical issues relating to health systems, public health, and global health, as well as urgent environmental matters.
