25. John Z. Sadler: Philosophy, Ethics, and the Conceptual Foundations of Psychiatry

In this episode, we are honored to welcome Dr. John Z. Sadler, one of the most influential figures at the intersection of psychiatry, ethics, and philosophy. For more than four decades, Dr. Sadler has shaped the intellectual and moral foundations of psychiatric diagnosis, values-based practice, and clinical ethics consultation.Dr. Sadler is the Daniel W. Foster, MD Professor of Medical Ethics and Professor of Psychiatry and Clinical Sciences at UT Southwestern Medical Center, where he directs the Program in Ethics in Science & Medicine and leads the Division of Ethics in the Department of Psychiatry. He has served on the Parkland Hospital Ethics Committee since 1985 and was its co-chair and clinical ethics consultant for three decades—bringing philosophical inquiry directly into the realities of patient care.A co-founder of the Association for the Advancement of Philosophy and Psychiatry and longtime co-editor of Philosophy, Psychiatry, & Psychology, Dr. Sadler has helped define an entire field of scholarship. He is the author of Values and Psychiatric Diagnosis and the recently published Vice and Psychiatric Diagnosis, co-author of The Virtuous Psychiatrist, and editor of multiple definitive reference works including the Oxford Handbook of Philosophy and Psychiatry, the Oxford Handbook of Psychiatric Ethics, and the Oxford Handbook of Psychotherapy Ethics.In this wide-ranging conversation, we explore why philosophy matters in everyday psychiatric practice, from how values shape diagnostic systems like the DSM and ICD, to the ethical tensions that arise in clinical care. Dr. Sadler reflects on the virtues essential to modern psychiatrists, how trainees can cultivate conceptual competence, and where the philosophy of psychiatry is headed globally. The result is both an intellectual masterclass and a thoughtful meditation on what psychiatry is, and what it ought to be.Music from #Uppbeat (free for Creators!):https://uppbeat.io/t/cruen/city-streetsLicense code: 2JJVCBQKEE2GJH5N