Part I: Laying the Groundwork Chapter 1: Consciousness Chapter 2: Unconsciousness Chapter 3: Uncertainty Part II: The Ethics of Uncertainty Chapter 4: Inference and Inductive Risk Chapter 5: Upstream/Downstream Chapter 6: The Ethics of Uncertainty Part III: Some Applications Chapter 7: Moral Status and the Consciousness Criterion Chapter 8: Disorders of Consciousness and the Disability Critique Chapter 9: Responding to Uncertainty: Beyond Disorders of Consciousness

"The Ethics of Uncertainty, by L. Syd Johnson, is a thought-provoking addition to the neuroethics literature." -- Adina L. Roskies, Philosophy Department, Dartmouth College, Hanover, New Hampshire, USA, Bioethics "The Ethics of Uncertainty presents a useful approach to decision making at one of the most complex intersections of ethics, medicine, and law. Since the term 'persistent vegetative state' was coined in 1972, decision makers for patients with disorders of consciousness have struggled with the question of whether to extend or continue their life-sustaining medical treatment. Johnson helps the reader understand how the diagnostic uncertainty surrounding disorders of consciousness can lead to ethical uncertainty. The analytic journey demonstrates that an 'all things considered' approach best addresses the continuous developments in clinical knowledge, the epistemic and ethical risks, and the need to act justly in each case. She provides an important resource for all those struggling with medical decision making for patients with disorders of consciousness and lays the groundwork for similar analysis of other situations." -- Kathy L. Cerminara, Shepard Broad College of Law, NSU Florida "The Ethics of Uncertainty by Syd Johnson is a breath of fresh air in the ethical reflection about consciousness and related disorders. It is a passionate and conceptually deep effort to open up new ways of thinking about and taking care of people with dramatic brain injuries. The ethics of uncertainty is an insightful heuristics that promises important contributions also in the discussion of other pressing bioethical topics. This book is really the push we needed to think further." -- Michele Farisco, Centre for Research Ethics and Bioethics, Uppsala University, Sweden "Multidimensional uncertainty is pervasive in the care of patients with acute and chronic disorders of consciousness. L. Syd M Johnson charts significant new territory by focusing on uncertainty and its epistemic and ethical implications; this book should be indispensable for bioethicists and clinicians committed to improving the care of these patients and their families." -- Christos Lazaridis, MacLean Center for Clinical Ethics, University of Chicago

L. Syd M Johnson, Ph.D, is a philosopher, bioethicist, and neuroethicist. She is Associate Professor at SUNY Upstate Medical University, in the Center for Bioethics and Humanities. Dr. Johnson is an ethics consultant at Upstate University Hospital, and a member of the NIH BRAIN Initiative Neuroethics Working Group. Her research focuses on ethical issues related to brain injuries, including disorders of consciousness, brain death, and sport-related neurotrauma; animal ethics; and research ethics.

Selling point: Presents the first book-length, empirically-informed philosophical treatment of disorders of consciousness Selling point: Develops a compelling new ethical approach to disorders of consciousness focused on uncertainty, epistemic and ethical risk, and justice Selling point: Rejects longstanding ethical dogmas about the significance of consciousness for moral standing and personhood