Medical ethics--an endeavour for social medicine?

In this paper twelve themes are pointed out as background for the increased interest for medical ethics: New medical knowledge, the democratisation of doctor-patient relationship, changes in the disease panorama, autonomy and its limits, research ethics, collegiate concern, prioritization, ethics of clinical training, immigration and cultural conflicts, changes in the view of the rationality of ethical reasoning, changes in the view of nature in relation to culture and medical students' requests for teaching in medical ethics. It is discussed whether teaching in medical ethics is a matter for social medicine or whether one should pass it on to hospital priests or philosophers.