ABSTRACT
The chapter reviews some important aspects of postmodern criticism generally and, finally, develops some suggestions for reform in bioethics. It discusses two variants of postmodern criticism the one referred to by Frank in his book, and the other based on my understanding of certain critics of standard US bioethics who have adopted 'postmodern' as a label for their views. Frank's conception of the postmodern world thus is tied to this notion of individual responsibility and is, at its core, a moral conception. An ethic that understands the communal responsibility of storytelling must also understand storytelling as a special way of knowing. Postmodern critiques of bioethics have occurred around the fringes of the 'movement' for many years, and have gained a more central place recently with renewed calls for standardization of bioethics education and certification of bioethics practitioners. Another important lesson Frank's postmodern vision has revealed to us is the emptiness of one of the sanctuaries offered by modernity.
