Finely crafted distinctions and the art of clinical ethics

Making finely crafted distinctions and deploying them in intellectually rig orous and clinically applicable judgments define, to a considerable degree, the art of clinical ethics. The papers in this "Clinical Ethics'' number o f the Journal of Medicine and Philosophy demonstrate the art of clinical et hics in their consideration of respect for autonomy vs. respect for persons , the role of risk in triggering assessment of decisional capacity vs. the role of risk in the concept and assessment of decisional capacity, intentio n vs. foresight in the clinical management of ectopic pregnancy, preserving life vs. relieving suffering in physician-assisted suicide, and what is es sential vs. non-essential in defining the "core areas'' of ethics education for members of hospital ethics committees.