| The dominant theoretical perspective in healthcare ethics is principlism, which seeks to incorporate the strengths of all other moral theories within a framework of common moral principles. Although principlism claims to be able to do everything other theories can, some alternative theories have challenged this claim. Two of the most influential alternative theories are narrative and feminist bioethics, which are frequently viewed as complementary since both are particularly sensitive to how people are made vulnerable by social power arrangements. I examine the comparative application of narrative and feminist frameworks and argue that there is actually a conflict between them concerning the amount of authority we should give to the voices of oppressed persons. I then consider whether this conflict can be resolved so that the strengths of each theory can be combined into a single theory. I conclude that, although the conflict can be resolved, combining narrative and feminist bioethics does not actually provide a theory with the combined strengths of both. |
