It starts with the definitive twentieth century analysis of the Hippoc ratic Oath and then shows how most religious and philosophical traditi ons differ from the ethical commitments contained in that classic docu ment. Some like the quaint, medieval "Hippocratic Oath In So Far as a Christian May Swear It," show how it is impossible to commit to both t he Hippocratic Oath and the Christian (or Jewish) religion at the same time. Others, representing modern secular liberal political philosoph y, show how the mainstream of Western law and philosophy are radically at odds with the Hippocratic tradition. Still others reflect ancient Eastern cultures--Hinduism, Buddhism, and the philosophies of China--o r other traditions outside the modern, liberal West, such as Islam and Marxism. The second edition includes, for the first time, articles pr esenting perspectives on both African and African-American medical eth ics.