Morality, ethics and public health : PPhilosophy and the challenge of pluralism

Public health frequently raises moral questions. In the face of moral controversies and dissent about values, one may hope for guidance by ethical reflection. However, the topic and methods of ethics are also subject to fundamental disagreement. This article illustrates this by using the example of different approaches to the definition of morality and the controversy about general methods of justification. It also examines some of the implications of these controversies. © 2009 Springer Medizin Verlag.