The Fundamental Values Of Bioethics

One field of genetic science which is crucial in society today is medicine where cloning is now possible. The need for moral reasoning is essential in this field because with greater power society must “[recognize] not only the limits of our knowledge but also our vulnerability to being misguided” with an evolving world (Dalai Lama 140). Humans have kept high moral responsibilities over the century when faced with new developments in knowledge. The Dalai Lama suggests that “our technological capacity has reached a critical point” during the past decade and the gap between knowledge and human ethics when making decisions has grown farther apart as new biogenetic science has arose (133). The issue is not whether

The field of Bioethics has developed over the past thirty years as a product of

In the prompt this week, we consider the moral issues involved in the Lockes’ decision to donate their unused frozen embryos for research. In avoiding personal beliefs and using the information provided by Robert Veatch in the book The Basics of Bioethics, I conclude that there is no definitive yes or no answer to the question of whether the Lockes’ actions were moral. Instead, we can pose how one might consider the actions by the Lockes to be morally impermissible and we can also present the case that their actions were morally permissible.

Ethics throughout science are very controversial as they are the model of distinguishing between right and wrong throughout all aspects of research. Throughout Honeybee Democracy and The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks we are given an insider’s perspective into the ethics, or the lack there of, regarding the ongoing research and the researchers conducting it. Although the books cover very different subject matter, there are divisions of their research and within their individual ethics that are almost indistinguishable.

Bioethics is also the study of what is ethical or moral in biological research and applications especially medicine.

When we think about issues that are surrounded by a lot of debate in bioethics we think about topics such as Abortion, Stem Cell Research, Genetic Enhancement, Euthanasia and Physician-Assisted Suicide. Each of these debates comes with its own ethical issues and discussion about the permissibility or impermissibility of each topic. Every one of these topics is complex and deserves careful consideration when trying to determine what is right ethically and which principles in ethics need to be considered more than others. The topic of interest in this paper is Physician-Assisted Suicide and the principles that inform our discussion of PAS and how to make sense of the arguments surrounding PAS. Individuals who are found to be competent and

What is bioethics? According to Michigan State University, School of Medicine, it is defined as an activity that is shared, reflective, examination of ethical issues in healthcare, health science and health policy. It is the discussion of the information that should be given to the patient and the patients right to refuse or accept that information. It involves doctors and patients but scientists and politicians and the general public. It has brought significant change but also raises new questions. In any event the topic of discussion and the purpose of this term paper is to explore biology and the ethics of this natural science. The topic of this paper is Physician Assisted Suicide; it has been widely debated amongst doctors, patients, politicians and law makers. The question that will be explored is the fact of if this is wrong or right to do. The purpose of physician assisted suicide, as well as how humans manipulated this phenomenon, and the controversy of this topic, amongst other prevalent information will be discussed. There will be some court cases that will be mentioned to prove when it should be used and when it should not be used. I will attempt to provide my position to this topic, although it may be hard to do so. Laws in which PAS can be done will be mentioned as well as other alternatives to it. I hope and pray this is sufficient.

For those who are not familiar with the Bioethics Bowl and are looking for this initial experience to spur a club formation at their respective university, the Bioethics Bowl is a debate style competition revolving around bioethical issues in their nature. These issues include, but by no means are limited to, the extent hospitals or the state can impinge upon the rights of citizens to ensure their safety, the duties of a physician (i.e. is physician assisted suicide compatible with a physician’s hippocratic oath? Should you disobey an advanced directive if you believe there is still a chance at life, despite a family member’s request?), and even human chimera experiments. For more detailed questions, please see the following link for the 2016 Bioethics Bowl Questions http://nubc2016.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/12/2016-Bioethics-Bowl-Case-Packet.pdf

In health care, a foundation in ethics is very important because people such as, patients, families, and healthcare professionals face difficult decisions, in particular medical treatments, which involve moral principles, religious beliefs, and professional standards (Purtilo & Doherty, 2015). Doctors aren’t the only ones in the healthcare field upholding ethical standards like the Hippocratic oath; health care administrators also “play an important role in facilitating decisions about patient care, particularly when the situation is one that might contain moral and ethical dilemmas” (Saint Joseph’s University, 2016, para. 10). Recent issues have made having a foundation in ethics is very important such as genetic testing prior to birth or end-of-life care. Practicing and making ethical decisions is a double edge sword; not everyone is going to agree with the decisions made. I believe that someone can still be a good person when making ethical decisions, but they shouldn’t let it play a big factor when deciding what’s best for the patient. At the end of the day when making tough medical decisions, we have to ask ourselves what’s best for the patient because that’s really who the decision is affecting.

The four principles of biomedical ethics, as described by Tom Beauchamp and James Childress’ Principles of Biomedical Ethics in 1979, have become an accepted basis on which biomedical decisions are made. These principles are respect for autonomy, beneficence, non-maleficence, and justice. Respect for autonomy involves respecting the independent decisions of an individual, and non-maleficence pertains to avoiding the causation of harm. Beneficence involves improving the condition of the individual by lessening, relieving, or preventing harm and providing benefits balanced against risk and cost. Finally, justice encompasses fair distribution of benefits, risks, and costs.

Beauchamp, Tom L., and James F. Childress. Principles of Biomedical Ethics. 6th ed. New York: Oxford University Press, 2008.

Bioethics is multidisciplinary. It blends law, philosophy, insights from the humanities and medicine to bear on the the complex interaction of human life, science, and technology. Although its

“The unexamined life is not worth living.” With these words, Socrates stated the creed of reflective men and women and set the task for ethics: to seek, with the help of reason, a consistent and defensible approach to life and its moral dilemmas (Walters 22). Ethical inquiry is important to us when we are unsure of the direction in which we are heading. “New philosophy calls all in doubt,” wrote John Donne in the wake of the Copernican Revolution and of Charles I’s violent death, suggesting that new thoughts had challenged old practices (Donne). Today, new practices in the biomedical sciences are challenging old thoughts: “New medicine calls all in doubt” (Walters 22).

Witcombe, J., & Sanchez, J. (2004). Food systems and security helping the poor cope. Retrieved from http://www.id21.org/health/InsightsHealth5art3.html

Ethics, in medicine, is described as applying one’s morals and values to healthcare decisions (Fremgen 2012). It requires a critical-thinking approach that examines important considerations such as fairness for all patients, the impact of the decision on society and the future repercussions of the decision (Fremgen 2012). According to Fremgen (2012), bioethics concerns ethical issues discussed in the perspective of advanced medical technology. Goldman and Schafer (2012) state bioethical issues that arise in medical practice include antibiotics, dialysis, transplantation, intensive care units, issues of genetics, reproductive choices and termination of care. In clinical practice the most common issues revolve around informed consent, termination of life-sustaining treatments, euthanasia and physician-assisted suicide, and conflicts of interest (Goldman, Schafer 2012).