Norman Daniels

Norman Daniels 5-22-2017 at HCSPH Retirement Symposium a

Norman Daniels is an American philosopher and bioethicist, best known for his work on justice and health care. He is a professor emeritus at Harvard School of Public Health and has made significant contributions to the field of bioethics and political philosophy.

Early Life and Education

Norman Daniels was born in New York City. He received his B.A. from Wesleyan University and his Ph.D. in philosophy from Harvard University. His early academic work focused on the philosophy of John Rawls, particularly Rawls' theory of justice as fairness.

Academic Career

Daniels began his academic career at Tufts University, where he taught philosophy and bioethics. He later joined the faculty at the Harvard School of Public Health, where he served as the Mary B. Saltonstall Professor of Population Ethics and Professor of Ethics and Population Health.

Contributions to Philosophy and Bioethics

Daniels is best known for his application of Rawlsian principles to issues of health care. His book, Just Health: Meeting Health Needs Fairly, explores how theories of justice can be applied to health policy. He argues that health is of special moral importance because it affects an individual's opportunity range.

Just Health Care

In his influential work Just Health Care, Daniels argues that a fair distribution of health care resources is essential for ensuring equality of opportunity. He extends Rawls' principles of justice to the health care system, advocating for a system that ensures fair access to health care for all individuals.

Accountability for Reasonableness

Daniels developed the concept of "accountability for reasonableness" as a framework for making fair and transparent decisions in health care. This framework has been widely adopted in health policy and bioethics.

Selected Works

• Just Health: Meeting Health Needs Fairly
• Just Health Care
• Setting Limits Fairly: Can We Learn to Share Medical Resources? (co-authored with James E. Sabin)

Awards and Honors

Daniels has received numerous awards for his contributions to philosophy and bioethics, including the American Philosophical Association's Quinn Prize for service to philosophy and philosophers.

Personal Life

Daniels is married and has two children. He continues to write and lecture on issues of justice and health care.

See Also

• Bioethics
• Justice as fairness
• Health care ethics
• John Rawls