Rethinking Conscientious Objection in Health Care

Giubilini, A., Savulescu, J., Schuklenk, U. and Minerva, F., (2025), 'Rethinking Conscientious Objection in Health Care', (Oxford University Press)

The book provides an argument against a right to conscientious objection by health care professionals. In increasingly multicultural societies inspired by pluralism, and given the range of controversial medical procedures that are or will be legal in many countries, claims about health care professionals’ right to abide by their own moral or religious views in the exercise of their profession become more frequent. This book explains why arguments for pluralism, tolerance, and diversity that support a right to freedom of conscience in society at large do not support the same right within the health care profession, or indeed any profession governed by internal norms of professionalism that someone freely decides to enter.

This open access book is free to read and download.