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Throughout the writing of this manuscript, I benefited from numerous discussions and commentaries concerning various ancestral versions. I am in the debt of many for their critical comments and useful suggestions. In particular, this volume profited from my conversations with H. Tristram Engelhardt Jr., Baruch A. Brody, George Sher, and Gerald McKenny. Members of the Rice University Philosophy Department, especially Mark Kulstad, Richard Grandy, Donald Morrison , and Steven Crowell, as well as the Center for Medical Ethics and Health Policy at Baylor College of Medicine, especially Laurence McCullough, helped me to see many important issues in a new light. In addition, I wish to recognize the ongoing support and kindness of Saint Edward’s University, the School of Humanities, the Departments of Philosophy and Religious Studies, and the Center for Ethics and Leadership, especially Donna M. Jurick, SND, Louis T. Brusatti, William J. Zanardi, Kelley Coblentz-Bautch, Richard Bautch, Edward Shirley, Peter Wake, and Phillip M. Thompson. Many have read the manuscript in various stages or commented on its central arguments. Through the multitude of names, I will surely fail to remember them all. Here I can only mention a few among the many who have been so generous : B. Andrew Lustig, Joseph Boyle, Kevin Wm. Wildes, S.J., Nicholas Capaldi, Ana Iltis, Fabrice Jotterand, Lisa Rasmussen, Ruiping Fan, George Khushf, Christopher Tollesfsen, David Solomon, Griffin Trotter, Larry Temkin, Douglas den Uyl, Frederic J. Fransen, and Emilio Pacheco. The detailed comments of Richard Brown were integral to shaping the character of the final manuscript . I am deeply indebted to my friend H. Tristram Engelhardt Jr., whose encouragement was essential to the completion of this manuscript. Having acknowledged much excellent guidance, I must admit that I have not always followed it. Any mistakes and missteps are, of course, my own. My deepest gratitude goes to Frank and Charlotte Cherry for their nurturing of intellectual skills as well as for unfailing encouragement, love, and support; to Carl and Lois Dorman for kindnesses too numerous to mention; to Jacob, Thaddeus, and Matthias for wonderful, exuberant, and never-ending distractions; and to Mollie, who besides possessing the virtues of faith, hope, joy, and love in great abundance has a wonderfully keen sense of humor. It is Mollie to whom this book is dedicated. vii Acknowledgments This page intentionally left blank ...

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