Jury of the German Nonfiction Prize 2026:
"This book addresses current issues in medical ethics – such as abortion, assisted dying and compulsory vaccination – which affect us personally or, at the very least, someone in our immediate circle, through two approaches. One is legal-philosophical in nature and provides an overview of current theoretical debates. The second, closely interwoven approach is a practical one, which explores how these debates are applied in real-life contexts through concrete examples. This combination helps us view internal and societal conflicts with greater detachment, recognise intrinsic contradictions and thereby gain a sense of personal agency that arises more from reflection than from feelings of guilt or implicit values."
Nominated for the German Non-Fiction Prize 2026
Assisted suicide, enhancement medicine, advance directives for dementia: what exactly are the disputes about? What arguments are being made? What is convincing? Medical ethics that invites reflection, with short stories as an entry point.
How we deal with the possibilities of modern medicine concerns us all. The physician and philosopher Bettina Schöne-Seifert addresses twelve current controversial topics—including assisted suicide, advance directives for dementia, organ donation, surrogacy, and AI in medicine. Each chapter begins with a fictional short story, followed by factual background information before turning to the core controversies.
What are the disputed questions? What arguments are put forward? What is convincing? The volume is rounded off with fundamental reflections on autonomy, paternalism, and the common good in medicine. The author’s strong viewpoints and suggested conclusions—she was a member of the German Ethics Council—invite readers to reflect and weigh the issues.
Bettina Schöne-Seifert offers medical ethics as something to think along with and as a challenge. Written in an accessible and clear style, the book is aimed not only at specialists.