Bioethics
Bioethics is a multidisciplinary field that examines the ethical implications of biological research and its applications, particularly in medicine. It extends beyond medical ethics, encompassing areas such as life sciences, biotechnology, law, and environmental considerations. Bioethicists engage with pressing ethical dilemmas, including abortion, cloning, euthanasia, genetic engineering, and stem cell research, aiming to navigate the complex moral landscape these topics present. The discipline has its roots in historical ethical theories and has evolved significantly since its formal inception in the late 20th century, with institutions dedicated to its study emerging in that period.
Bioethics is typically subdivided into areas like medical ethics, animal ethics, and environmental ethics, each addressing specific moral concerns—ranging from end-of-life issues and reproductive decisions to the treatment of animals and environmental stewardship. As technological advancements accelerate, bioethicists face new challenges, such as those posed by in vitro fertilization and the ethical considerations around embryo selection. The field strives to provide guidance on what constitutes ethical behavior in these rapidly evolving contexts, promoting thoughtful dialogue about the moral implications of scientific progress. Through their work, bioethicists seek to clarify what is considered right or wrong in various complex scenarios, contributing to a deeper understanding of responsible practices in society.
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Subject Terms
Bioethics
Bioethics is an area of study that focuses on the ethical consequences of matters relating to biological research and applications, particularly those associated with the field of medicine. In many ways, bioethics overlaps with medical ethics, but it has a much broader scope. Whereas medical ethics applies only to the field of medicine, bioethics applies to subjects such as life science, biotechnology, politics, and law, along with medicine. People who study bioethics are called bioethicists. Bioethicists raise and/or attempt to answer ethical questions about many controversial and hotly debated topics, such as abortion, cloning, euthanasia, genetic engineering, organ donation, and stem cell research.
Background
Ethics is the branch of knowledge focused on moral behavior and identifying the difference between good and bad or right and wrong. Throughout history, philosophers debated the qualities of so-called "good" or "right" behavior. These debates led to various theories on ethics. For example, a theory known as utilitarianism poses that an ethical decision is one that brings the greatest happiness to the greatest number of people. Other theories define ethical behavior in other ways.
Medical ethics is moral behavior as it relates to the field of medicine. It dates back at least to ancient Greece and the introduction of the Hippocratic Oath around 500 BCE. Named for Hippocrates, often called the "father of Western medicine," the Hippocratic Oath requires new doctors to swear to uphold certain ethical standards. Although elements of the Hippocratic Oath have changed over time, the basic principles still apply. Doctors are expected to help patients in need and avoid actions that would harm a patient. They are expected to keep patients' medical information confidential, and they are forbidden from taking advantage of patients in any way.
Bioethics is a relatively new branch of ethics. Some sources indicate that German theologian Fritz Jahr coined the German word for bioethics as early as the 1920s. In three articles, Jahr argued for the creation of an area of study focused on ethical behavior as it relates to matters involving people and the environment. Other sources indicate that the modern field of bioethics did not really begin to take shape until the late 1960s and early 1970s. During that period, a number of influential papers on bioethics as a discipline were published. In addition, the Institute of Society, Ethics, and the Life Sciences (later known as the Hastings Center) and the Joseph and Rose Kennedy Institute for the Study of Human Reproduction and Bioethics (later known as the Kennedy Institute of Ethics) were founded.
Bioethics often is divided into a few subdisciplines: medical ethics, animal ethics, and environmental ethics. Bioethicists who focus on medical ethics address topics such as end-of-life issues, research practices, doctor-patient confidentiality, reproductive decision-making, and human genetics. Those focused on animal ethics believe that because animals are capable of suffering, they should receive the same ethical consideration that humans expect to receive. Bioethicists who focus on animal ethics address matters such as hunting for sport, experimentation on animals, and the merits—or lack thereof—of facilities such as zoos. Environmental ethics focuses on humans' moral behavior as it relates to the environment, including animals, plants, ecosystems, and natural resources. Bioethicists focused on environmental ethics may consider topics such as the treatment of endangered species, the disposal of radioactive waste, and the destruction of rain forests and other ecosystems.
Topic Today
In the twenty-first century, bioethicists constantly face new questions. New technologies are introduced at a rapid-fire rate. Scientific and medical breakthroughs seem to occur every day. Bioethicists may find it difficult to keep pace with the ethical questions that arise as a result of these advancements. Following are some examples of situations involving moral and ethical questions that bioethicists must try to answer.
In vitro fertilization (IVF) is a process that combines a male's sperm with a female's egg in a laboratory dish to produce an embryo, which has the potential to develop into a fetus. The embryo is then implanted in the womb, where—if the procedure is successful—it develops into a fetus. Infants that result from IVF are sometimes called "test tube babies." The first test tube baby was born in 1978. Since then, IVF has helped hundreds of thousands of couples have children. IVF raises some ethical questions, though: Should doctors be allowed to create life in this way? What should doctors do with embryos that they do not implant in their patients? Is it morally right to destroy them? Is it ethical to use them for research?
Another issue related to IVF is sex selection. In many cases, doctors perform a screening process to determine which embryos are most viable, or likely to result in a successful pregnancy. These tests reveal, with near-perfect certainty, the sex of the future child. As a result, doctors are able to offer couples the option of choosing the embryos most likely to result in a boy or a girl rather than leaving it up to chance. But should they? Many bioethicists have raised concerns about giving patients this choice. One concern is that it could lead to gender bias or, over time, even skew the gender ratio of a society.
Often scientists use animals to conduct medical research. For example, they may test new medications on animals before approving them for human consumption. Animal rights groups such as People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals (PETA) and the Humane Society of the United States (HSUS) are morally opposed to using animals for medical research. They believe this research is unethical because it could cause pain, suffering, or death for the animals. However, medical research on animals is responsible for breakthroughs such as the polio vaccine. Polio is an infectious disease that can attack the brain and spinal cord and cause paralysis. During the early twentieth century, researchers used mice and monkeys to conduct polio research. The results of their studies led to the development of the polio vaccine in the early 1950s. Since then, the polio vaccine has prevented millions of people from contracting polio and has nearly eliminated the disease from the planet. Was it unethical to use animals for human benefit in this case? Would it have been more unethical to delay a medical breakthrough with the potential to save millions of lives?
People who work in the field of bioethics tackle some of the most difficult questions that society faces. They attempt to differentiate the good from the bad and what is right from what is wrong. Their goal is to establish the most morally and ethically responsible behaviors for an array of diverse situations.
Bibliography
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