FEATURE

Bioethics: An Overview
Rahul Mohan
I
by
n considering the term, “BioEthics,”
one is immediately accosted by its twin
Overview
aspects- namely, Biology and Ethics. The In today’s world, there’s increasing attention the individual right to refuse treatment.
study of the intersection between these two given to bioethics as we are now confronted The exact scope of the field is debated
fields is not a new pursuit and has been with questions and dilemmas that are upon by bioethicists themselves as different
undertaken as a subject on its own since the unprecedented in human history. The field individuals prescribe to different scopes-
early 1960s- with its roots attributable to of biology (both medical and otherwise) has ranging from the very limited to those who
the rapid advances made in the medical field been advancing at such an incredulous pace examine the morality of actions that deal
and the radical cultural change associated that we are now capable of what man would with any organism that is capable of fear
with that era in human history. The term have deemed nigh impossible just 50 years and pain.
“Bioethics” was first coined by Fritz Jahr in ago. Topics such as xenotransplantation, Bioethics employs ethical theories in
1927, in an article that sought to examine the synthetic and artifical life, as well as IVF philosophy in order to address some of
“biological imperative” of the employment and animal research raise questions of ethics the problems encountered in the field of
of plants and animals in research. Today, it and morality that we never had to confront clinical medicine. An increasing number of
is one of the fundamental considerations before. Against this backdrop of controversy philosophers see bioethics as the practical
in all research conducted globally, with and dilemmas, the field of bioethics comes application of philosophy in today’s world
entire committees dedicated to ensure the into play- with solutions (and as is often as it deals with questions on the morality
observance of internationally recognised the case, more questions) derived from the of actions in the clinical and research fields.
bioethical standards. In the following article, considerations of philosophy, law and politics Much of the bioethical discourse conducted
I will attempt to develop a brief overview of to the questions at hand. in the public and academic arenas approach
the subject, examine the principles associated Bioethics has to date addressed a bioethical questions with a philosophical
with it as well as consider the need and multitude of questions ranging from abortion framework and structure, invoking ideas
importance of bioethics as a subject in and euthanasia to health care policy and brought forth by the great philosophers of
today’s society. yore, such as Immanuel Kant and Jeremy
Bentham, and utilising them as a means to
a viable solution for the dilemmas
encountered.

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 FEATURE

Principles of

of bioethics have been instrumental
to the consideration of various aspects
Bioethics in the conduct of research. Factors such
as informed consent, risk/benefit analysis
In a field such as medicine, and by extension,
and the selection of research subjects
bioethics, it is difficult to set absolute
can be considered as direct applications
rules and guidelines by which all cases and
of the aforementioned principles and are i
scenarios are measured against- due to
nvoked today in every research that
the multitude of considerations involved.
requires human participants as part of
However, due to the need for standardisation,
the research.
Dan Harms from the then United States prevented from participating in available
Department of Health, Education and Welfare syphillis treatment programs. Both instances
published the Belmont Report which set Importance of are valuable demonstrations of the need for a
out to lay guidelines for the employment of
human test subjects in experiments. Three
Bioethics in today’s regulatory system and it highlights the need
for bioethics as a governing tool to moderate
fundamental principles were recommended society the conduct of research.
within: This need is all the more accentuated as
Having examined the principles guiding
1. Respect for persons the field of bioethics, it is possible to glean
new technology and scientific breakthroughs
People are treated as autonomous reveal more the about natural world around
knowledge of its importance in this day and
entities who have the the freedom of us, enabling us to assume the powers of life
age by means of a simple extrapolation.
choice and are endowed with the right and death into our hands. In our pursuit of
We have observed in the previous section
to make their own life choices. Persons knowledge, it is important to maintain the
that bioethics is guided by values such as
with diminshed autonomy (by virtue integrity of human and animal rights, as they
justice, respect for persons and beneficence.
of illness or age) are protected, and where are fundamental tenets of society. Each day,
Thus, it can be surmised that the absence
necessary, excluded from potentially new discoveries are made that further push
of the guiding light of bioethics would very
harmful activities. the frontiers of science; bioethics confers us
well be analogous to a book without a rule
the ability to approach the ethical questions
2. Beneficence or a nation without the constitution. The
that arise in a systematic and “shared, value-
This principle consists of two general situation with bioethics is well depicted by
based approach” (as described by Mr. Ban).
rules. The first rule is a mirror of the Mr Ban Ki-Moon, the current Secretary-
Whilst the need for oversight has been
Hippocratic maxim, “do not harm”. General of the United Nations, “Bioethics
acknowledged, it is equally important to
The second rule dictates that in pursuing increasingly has implications for many areas
ensure that ongoing or future research is
a project, all efforts are undertaken to of people’s lives and it is important to identify
not undermined by the hazards of over
maximise the possible benefits whilst common ground around which controversial
regulation. Imposing unnecessary restrictions
keeping the risks at a minimum. discussions can take place”.
in the conduct of experiments would possibly
Prior to the establishment of a set of
3. Justice guiding principles, as set out by the field
result in suppression and possibly stagnation
The benefits and the burdens of the of research. Likewise, under regulation
of bioethics, researchers were not bound
project are equally distributed wherever would also be harmful to society. Therefore,
by any governing guiding principles in
possible. In the event that such a it is important to achieve that balance in
conducting their research. During the Nazi
distribution is not feasible, the oversight and in control to ensure that whilst
German regime during the Second World
distribution is conducted according to ethical standards are upheld, it does not come
War, there were countless instances of human
individual need, effort, societal at the cost of impeding research.
experimentation by German doctors, where
contribution and merit. In conclusion, it can be surmised that
prisoners were coerced into participating
Since the release of the document, much progress has been made in the field of
in completely unethical and horrendous
bioethicists have gone onto expand bioethics, as we develop more robust sets of
experiments which frequently resulted in
on the values highlighted within, as guidelines to steer scientific research. It has
death, disfigurement or permanent disabilities
well as add on to this list of cardinal fast grown to be a field that addresses some
being suffered by the participants. The
values, resulting in the inclusion of of the most critical and pressing problems of
Tuskegee syphillis experiment was another
values such as non-maleficence, human our time and continues to grow in tandem
instance of the dangers of operating without
dignity and the sanctity of life. This with on going research. It is our responsibility
a bioethical guidance system. Researchers
expansion also serves as a reflection of to ensure the growth and sustenance of this
in that study withheld penicillin, which
the continued public debate in the vital field by encouraging public discourse
was discovered to cure the disease, from
various bioethical issues that we have the participants, all of whom suffered from and dialogue, allowing the confluence of
encountered. the disease, in their study. In addition, they a broad swath of ideological opinions and
The principles guiding the field were kept uninformed about the disease and philosophical approaches.

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