"The dignity of the human person is affirmed most significantly not in the assertion of one's own autonomy but in the protection of others who are most subject to having their dignity violated. Therefore, in bioethics as in medicine more generally, the first rule is "Do no harm". That first rule enjoins us to protect and maintain something that is recognized as good simply in its being."

~ Richard John Neuhaus ~

Related Links

The Canadian Bioethics' Society is a forum for professionals interested in sharing ideas relating to bioethics and in finding solutions to bioethical problems.
www.bioethics.ca/index-ang.html

Bioethics.com is a public service provided through the collaboration of many individuals and organizations to improve the discussion of issues in bioethics.
www.bioethics.com

The Centre for Bioethics and Human Dignity
Exploring the nexus of biomedicine, biotechnology, and our common humanity.
www.cbhd.org

The President's Council on Bioethics
A Council set up to advise the President of the United States on bioethical issues that may emerge as a consequence of advances in biomedical science and technology.
www.bioethics.gov

Bioethics

Bioethics is a particular field of ethics that studies advances in medicine and medical technology and how they apply to the human person. New advances in medicine have greatly enhanced our ability to provide care, but these advances need to be guided by ethical principles. This was first acknowledged publically at Nuremburg when ethical guidelines involving the treatment of human beings in biomedical experiments was examined and defined. Since then the study of how we use medicine to improve our lives has continued.

The subject matter of Bioethicists is both wide and varied. Bioethics covers such topics as abortion, organ transplantation, health care costs and human reproductive technologies. The principles that underlie each subject area are less varied – the concern is for the betterment of human life and its protection from abuse.

At the heart of Bioethics is the person, their rights and dignity and how we can best promote medical advancements without breaching these inviolable realities.

The following subjects will be dealt with at length:

Euthanasia & Physician Assisted Suicide

Stem Cell Research

Eugenics