Bioethics in Apocalyptic Times

This book confronts one of the defining challenges of our age: how to think and act ethically in a world increasingly shaped by crisis, uncertainty, and a pervasive sense of vulnerability. From climate change and pandemics to war, inequality, and political instability, contemporary threats have intensified feelings of anxiety about the future and raised urgent questions about the capacity of ethics to respond meaningfully. In Bioethics in Apocalyptic Times Henk ten Have argues that bioethics must be reimagined to meet these conditions. While a robust global framework of ethical principles already exists, it often remains confined to theory, failing to translate into effective action. By critically examining the roots of apocalyptic thinking and the evolving concept of vulnerability, the author proposes a more resilient and imaginative form of bioethics—one that is grounded in relationships, responsive to real-world contexts, and oriented toward hope. Drawing on insights from philosophy, medicine, sociology, and beyond, the book explores how ethical imagination can inspire new forms of cooperation, solidarity, and responsibility. It highlights the role of individuals, communities, and social movements in shaping meaningful change, and calls for a shift from abstract principles to practical engagement at local and global levels. Bioethics in Apocalyptic Times offers a compelling vision of ethics as a transformative force, a force capable not only of interpreting a troubled world, but of helping to build a more just and hopeful future.