Second, we outline some of the major implications of Dewey's prag-. matic philosophy for the emerging subdiscipline of clinical ethics. Clinical ethics is concerned with analyzing and resolving moral problems. that arise in the care of patients in clinical settings. In addition, clinical. ethics is, or ought to be, concerned with mapping the reform of clinical. practice in the light of appropriate moral ideals. This essay concentrates. on two themes that have particular significance for developing a prag-. matic perspective on clinical ethics.