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Duties, offices, and conduct The lexis of moral sense and practical ethics in late eighteenth-century medical writing

  • Elisabetta Lonati

Research output: Chapter in Book/Report/Conference proceeding › Chapter › peer-review

Abstract

The general aim of this study is to investigate the lexis of moral sense and practical ethics in a number of medical works published between 1770 and 1803. Two physicians laid the foundations of medical morality: John Gregory (1724-1773) and Thomas Percival (1740-1804). In their works, they highlight and discuss the notions of duty/-ies, office/-s, and conduct in many different contexts, and gradually define their specific shades of meaning in the emerging medical profession over time. The study will exemplify how these three words are used within Gregory's and Percival's works (e.g., frequency rate across works, textual and discourse relevance), and will also explore their function in structuring medical ethics, as well as their role in governing medical practice and performance.

Original languageEnglish
Title of host publicationCurrent Issues in Linguistic Theory
EditorsLuisella Caon, Moragh S. Gordon, Thijs Porck
PublisherJohn Benjamins Publishing Company
Pages129-152
Number of pages24
DOIs
Publication statusPublished - 2024
Externally publishedYes

Publication series

NameCurrent Issues in Linguistic Theory
Volume364
ISSN (Print)0304-0763

Keywords

  • conduct
  • culture of medicine
  • duty and duties
  • eighteenth century
  • medical education
  • medical ethics
  • medical profession
  • medical writing
  • medico gentility
  • offices

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