Bioethics

Bioethics is the ethicsof biologicalscienceand medicine.

Definition and scope

Bioethics concerns the ethical questions that arise in the relationships between biology, medicine, cybernetics, politics, law, philosophy, and theology. Disagreement exists about the proper scope for the application of ethical evaluation to questions involving biology. Some bioethicists would narrow ethical evaluation only to the morality of medical treatmentsor technologicalinnovations, and the timing of medical treatment of humans. Other bioethicists would broaden the scope of ethical evaluation to include the morality of all actions that might help or harm organisms capable of feeling fear and pain.

Bioethics involves many public policy questions that are often politicized(used to mobilize political constituencies). For this reason, some biologists and others involved in the development of technology have come to see any mention of "bioethics" as an attempt to derail their work and react to it as such, regardless of the true intent. Some biologists can be inclined to this line of thought, as they see their work as inherently ethical, and attacks on it as misguided.

Issues

Bioethics issues include:

Bioethicists focus on using philosophyto help analyze said concerns, though bioethics is becoming increasingly interdisciplinary.

Religious bioethicists have developed rulesand guidelineson how to deal with these issuesfrom within the viewpointof their respective faiths. Some secular bioethicists are critical of the fact that these are usually religious scholars without an academic degreeor training in disciplines that pertain to the issues, such as philosophy (wherein the study of ethics is usually found), biology or medicine.

Most religious bioethicists are Jewishor Christianscholars. However a small number of religious scholars from other religions have recently become involved in this field as well. Islamicclericshave begun to write on this topic. Muslim bioethicists include Abdulaziz Sachedina, at the University of Virginiain Charlottesville. There has been some criticism by liberalMuslims that only the more religiously conservative voices in Islam are being heard on this issue. Buddhist bioethicists have focused much of their concern on organ transplantation.

See also

Subjects

• Bioconservatism
• Biopolitics
• Environmental ethics
• Ethics
• Medicine
• Psychosurgery(including lobotomy)
• Techno-progressivism
• Utilitarian Bioethics

Bioethicists

• Arthur Caplan
• Leon Kass
• Bernard Nathanson
• Joseph Fletcher
• Peter Singer
• James Hughes

References (general)

• Beauchamp, Tom L. and James T.Childress. (2001). Principles of Biomedical Ethics. Oxford University Press. ISBN 0195143329.
• Orr, Robert D. and Leigh B. Genesen. Requests for inappropriate treatment based on religious beliefs in Journal of Medical Ethics, Vol. 23, 1997. pp. 142-147.
• Potter, Van Rensselaer. (1971). Bioethics: Bridge to the Future. Englewood Cliffs, N.J.: Prentice-Hall. ISBN 0130765058
• Potter, Van Rensselaer. (1988). Global Bioethics: Building on the Leopold Legacy. East Lansing. Michigan State University Press. ISBN 0870132644
• Sloan, R.P., E. Bagiella and T. Powlell. Religion, spirituality, and medicine, The Lancet, 1999, 353(9153): 1-7.
• Stevin, Peter and Joe Stevens, Detainees' Medical Files Shared Guantanamo Interrogators' Access Criticized Washington PostJune 10, 2004, Page A01
• Thomas, John. Where Religious and Secular Ethics Meet in Humane Health Care International, Vol. 12, No. 1, January 1996.

Muslim Bioethics

• Al Khayat MH. Health and Islamic behaviour. In: El Gindy AR, editor. Health policy, ethics and human values: Islamic perspective Kuwait: Islamic Organization of Medical Sciences; 1995. p. 447-50.
• Ebrahim, Abul Fadl Mohsin. Abortion, Birth Control and Surrogate Parenting. An Islamic Perspective Indianapolis, 1989
• Esposito, John. Ed. Surrogate Motherhood in The Oxford Encyclopedia of the Modern Islamic World New York: Oxford University Press, 1995.

Jewish Bioethics

• Bleich, J. David. 1981. Judaism and Healing. New York: Ktav
• Dorff, Elliot N. 1998. Matters of Life and Death: A Jewish Approach to Modern Medical Ethics. Philadelphia: Jewish Publication Society
• Feldman DM. Marital relations, birth control, and abortion in Jewish law. New York: Schocken Books; 1974
• Freedman B. Duty and healing: foundations of a Jewish bioethic. New York: Routledge; 1999
• Jakobovits I. Jewish medical ethics. New York: Bloch Publishing; 1959
• Life & Death Responsibilities in Jewish Biomedical Ethics, Ed. Aaron L. Mackler, JTS, 2000
• Maibaum M. A "progressive" Jewish medical ethics: notes for an agenda. Journal of Reform Judaism 1986;33(3):27-33.
• Rosner, Fred Modern medicine and Jewish ethics New York: Yeshiva University Press; 1986
• Conservative Judaism Vol. 54(3), Spring 2002 (Contains a set of six articles on bioethics)
• Zohar, Noam J. 1997. Alternatives in Jewish Bioethics. Albany: State University of New York Press

Christian Bioethics

• Colson, Charles W.(editor) 2004. Human Dignity in the Biotech Century: A Christian Vision for Public Policy. Downers Grove, Illinois: InterVarsity Press
• Demy, Timothy J. and Gary P. Steward. 1998. Suicide: A Christian Response: Crucial Considerations for Choosing Life. Grand Rapids: Kregel
• Pope John Paul II. 1995. Evangelium Vitae: The Gospel of Life. Vatican City
• Kilner, John et al. 1995. Bioethics and the Future of Medicine: A Christian Appraisal. Grand Rapids, Michigan: Wm. B. Eerdmans Publishing Company
• Kilner, John F., Arlene B. Miller, and Edmund D. Pellegrino (eds.). 1996. Dignity and Dying: A Christian Appraisal. Grand Rapids, MI: Eerdmans Publishing Co.; and Carlisle, United Kingdom: Paternoster Press
• Meilaender, Gilbert 2004. Bioethics: A Primer For Christians. Grand Rapids, Michigan: Wm. B. Eerdmans Publishing Company
• Pope Paul VI. 1968. Humanae Vitae: Human Life. Vatican City
• Smith, Wesley J.2004. Consumer's Guide to A Brave New World. San Francisco: Encounter Books
• Smith, Wesley J. 2002. Culture of Death: The Assault on Medical Ethics in America. San Francisco: Encounter Books
• Smith, Wesley J. 1997. Forced Exit:The Slippery Slope from Assisted Suicide to Murder. New York: Times Books
• Stewart, Gary P. et al. 1998. Basic Questions on Suicide and Euthanasia: Are They Ever Right? BioBasics Series. Grand Rapids: Kregel
• Stewart, Gary P. et al. 1998. Basic Questions on End of Life Decisions: How Do We Know What's Right? Grand Rapids: Kregel

External links

• Kennedy Institute of Ethics Journal
• Treuman Katz Center for Pediatric Bioethics
• All India Association of Bioethics
• The American Journal of Bioethics
• American Society for Bioethics and Humanities
• Bioethics for clinicians: Islamic bioethics - Canadian Medical Association Journal
• Bioethics program at the University of Judaism, Los Angeles, California
• Bioethics and Sport
• Bioliberty: Proposal for the Declaration of Intelligent Beings' Rights
• The Center for Bioethics and Human Dignity (A Christian bioethics council)
• The Center for Bioethics and Culture Network
• The Coalition of Americans for Research Ethics
• Council for Responsible Genetics USA
• International Network for Life Studies
• Eubios Ethics Institute JAPAN
• The Hastings Center
• Jewish bioethics on the web
• Jewish Bioethics from Jerusalem's Darche Noam Educational Institute
• Journal of the International Association of Bioethics
• Mystical Bioethics Network
• National Catholic Bioethics Center
• National Institute of Health: Bioethics resources on the web
• Pandas' Liberation Revisited
• Stanford Encyclopedia of Philosophy entry on Feminist Bioethics
• The U.S.A. President's Council on Bioethics
• Future Human Evolution: Eugenics in the 21st Century

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Stem cell research controversy in the United States

• Taking Bush Personally
• Stemming Stem Cells: A Case Study in Modern Washington Dishonesty

Fertility Law controversy in Italy

• Effects of Legal Repression of Fertility Treatments

GNR politics

Note: GNRtechnologies are genetics, nanotechnology, and robotics

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