Bioethics, Sociality, and Mental Illness
Magnus Englander
The Journal of Medicine and Philosophy: A Forum for Bioethics and Philosophy of Medicine April 1, 2023 DOI: 10.1093/jmp/jhad002 (opens in new tab)
Study at a glance
AI-extracted from the abstract| Characteristics | Theoretical or philosophical paper Qualitative Peer reviewed |
|---|---|
| Key points | Argues that bioethics should ground itself in the lived experience of mental illness, using qualitative phenomenological studies of schizophrenia and postpartum depression to show that ethical issues of sociality and "mundane intersubjectivity" are central to understanding suffering and care. |
Abstract
The phenomenology of bioethics is approached here in relation to the lived experience as it relates to the everyday lifeworld of persons suffering from mental illness. Taking a road less traveled, the purpose here is to elucidate ethical issues relating to sociality, using findings from qualitative phenomenological psychological research. Qualitative studies of schizophrenia and postpartum depression serve as examples. Layered throughout is the applied phenomenological argument pointing to the importance of returning to mundane intersubjectivity and the reversibility between mental illness, the existential context of suffering, and sociality.