Bioethics: Etymology and History

Study Notes

Bioethics Origins

Bioethics originates from Greek words "bios" and "ethos", which mean life and morality, respectively.
The concept of bioethics dates back to 400 BC, during the time of Hippocrates.

Ethics Definition

Ethics is a branch of philosophy that deals with the morality of human conduct.
Quality of human act is called morality.
Ethics is derived from the ancient Greek word "ethos", which means custom, character, or behavior.

Categories of Ethical Theories

Normative Ethics: seeks to set norms or standards for conduct, used to discuss general theories about what one ought to do.
Meta-Ethics: also known as analytical ethics, deals with questions about the nature of moral judgments, such as whether they are objective or subjective.
Applied Ethics: application of normative ethical theories to practical problems, definite application of ethics to a specific bioethical issue.

Bioethical Principles

Basic Bioethical Principles

Stewardship Principle
Totality Principle
Double Effect Principle
Principle of Cooperation

Major Bioethical Principles

Principle of Respect for Autonomy
Principle of Beneficence
Principle of Nonmaleficence
Principle of Justice

Components and Types of Ethics

Rules: set of laws or orders that may penalize wrongdoing, guide individuals to act in conformity with a law, ordinance, directive, or policy.
Standard: can be considered social policies, example - social policy of prohibiting same-sex marriage.
Principles: evaluated against a standard rule, example - social policy of no same-sex marriage justified by lawful orders.
Judgement: product of learned codes of conduct and cognitive evaluation of each situation, example - determining whether an act or omission constitutes robbery.
Common Sense: practical application of what the conscious mind dictates, product of cognitive, practical, and critical thinking.
Values: not explicitly defined but implied as a component of ethics.
Public Interest: not explicitly defined but implied as a component of ethics.

Description

Explore the roots of bioethics, from its Greek origins to its modern revival. Learn about the integration of biology and ethics, and the contributions of key figures like Hippocrates and Van Rensselaer Potter.