Janet Radcliffe Richards

Janet Radcliffe Richards (1944- ) is a British feminist philosopher and bioethicist. She reads bioethics and is Director of the Centre for Bioethics and Philosophy of Medicine at University College London [http://www.ucl.ac.uk] , is the author of several books, papers and articles, and has sat on a variety of advisory and working committees in areas of philosophy and bioethics. [http://www.rcgp.org.uk/get_involved/committees/medical_ethics_committee/about_the_committee/members/janet_radcliffe-richards.aspx] She is also a Distinguished Research Fellow at the Oxford Uehiro Centre for Practical Ethics [http://www.practicalethics.ox.ac.uk/nstaff.htm] and posts regularly at the University of Oxford’s Practical Ethics: Ethical Perspectives on the News website [http://www.practicalethicsnews.com/practicalethics/janet_radcliffe_richards_posts/index.html] . At present, her name often arises in articles and discussions on organ transplantation, in particular the idea of a legitimate organ trade (eg. [http://jme.bmj.com/cgi/content/full/29/3/141] ). Her identification with feminism and her focus on bioethics both occurred “by accident” [http://www.philosophers.co.uk/wpt.htm] (p. 27) during the writing of her first book, "The Sceptical Feminist: A philosophical enquiry" (Routledge, 1980; Penguin, 1982) - bioethics being central to the abortion debate. [http://www.philosophers.co.uk/wpt.htm]

Her second book, "Human Nature After Darwin: A Philosophical Introduction" (Routledge, 2001) explores the so-call Darwin Wars, including what implications Darwinism raises for philosophy and the application of critical thinking to various arguments put forward in the debate. [http://www.practical-philosophy.org.uk/Volume4Reviews/AfterDarwin.htm]

Further reading

All by Janet Radcliffe Richards:
* "The Sceptical Feminist", (1980)
* "Human Nature After Darwin: A Philosophical Introduction", (2001)
* "Why Feminist Epistemology Isn't" (1997) in "The Flight from Science and Reason" P. Gross, N. Levitt & M. Lewis; Johns Hopkins University Press.
* [http://www.issuesinmedicalethics.org/092di047.html Organs For Sale]

References

1 University College London (faculty listings) www.ucl.ac.uk

2 Royal College of General Practitioners, http://www.rcgp.org.uk/get_involved/committees/medical_ethics_committee/about_the_committee/members/janet_radcliffe-richards.aspx

3 Oxford Uehiro Centre for Practical Ethics, http://www.practicalethics.ox.ac.uk/nstaff.htm

4 Practical Ethics: Ethical Perspectives on the News [http://www.practicalethicsnews.com/practicalethics/janet_radcliffe_richards_posts/index.html]

5 Erin, CA, Harris, J, ‘Janet Radcliffe Richards on our modest proposal’, Journal of Medical Ethics, 2003, v29:141, http://jme.bmj.com/cgi/content/full/29/3/141

6 Baggini, J, Stangroom, J, What Philosophers Think 2003/2005: Continuum http://www.philosophers.co.uk/wpt.htm.

7 Ibid.

8 Ibid.

9 as reviewed by Macaro, A, Practical Philosophy, 2001, v4:2, http://www.practical-philosophy.org.uk/Volume4Reviews/AfterDarwin.htm