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| title | chunk | source | category | tags | date_saved | instance |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Bioethics | 5/7 | https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bioethics | reference | science, encyclopedia | 2026-05-05T16:33:10.462736+00:00 | kb-cron |
=== Christian bioethics === In Christian bioethics it is noted that the Bible, especially the New Testament, teaches about healing by faith. Healing in the Bible is often associated with the ministry of specific individuals including Elijah, Jesus and Paul. Being healed has been described as a privilege of accepting Christ's redemption on the cross. Jesus endorsed the use of the medical assistance of the time (medicines of oil and wine). The principle of the sacredness of human life is at the basis of Catholic bioethics. On the subject of abortion, for example, Catholics and Orthodox are on very similar positions. Catholic bioethics insists on this concept, without exception, while Anglicans, Waldensians and Lutherans have positions closer to secular ones, for example with regard to the end of life. In 1936, Ludwig Bieler argued that Jesus was stylized in the New Testament in the image of the "divine man" (Greek: theios aner), which was widespread in antiquity. It is said that many of the famous rulers and elders of the time had divine healing powers. Contemporary bioethical and health care policy issues, including abortion, the distribution of limited resources, the nature of appropriate hospital chaplaincy, fetal experimentation, the use of fetal tissue in treatment, genetic engineering, the use of critical care units, distinctions between ordinary and extraordinary treatment, euthanasia, free and informed consent, competency determinations, the meaning of life, are being examined within the framework of traditional Christian moral commitments.
=== Feminist bioethics === Feminist bioethics critiques the fields of bioethics and medicine for its lack of inclusion of women's and other marginalized group's perspectives. This lack of perspective from women is thought to create power imbalances that favor men. These power imbalances are theorized to be created from the androcentric nature of medicine. One example of a lack of consideration of women is in clinical drug trials that exclude women due to hormonal fluctuations and possible future birth defects. This has led to a gap in the research on how pharmaceuticals can affect women. Feminist bioethicists call for the necessity of feminist approaches to bioethics because the lack of diverse perspectives in bioethics and medicine can cause preventable harm to already vulnerable groups. This study first gained prevalence in the field of reproductive medicine as it was viewed as a "woman's issue". Since then, feminist approaches to bioethics has expanded to include bioethical topics in mental health, disability advocacy, healthcare accessibility, and pharmaceuticals. Lindemann notes the need for the future agenda of feminist approaches to bioethics to expand further to include healthcare organizational ethics, genetics, stem cell research, and more. Notable figures in feminist bioethics include Carol Gilligan, Susan Sherwin, and the creators of the International Journal of Feminist Approaches to Bioethics, Mary C. Rawlinson and Anne Donchin. Sherwin's book No Longer Patient: Feminist Ethics in Health Care (1992) is credited with being one of the first full-length books published on the topic of feminist bioethics and points out the shortcomings in then-current bioethical theories. Sherwin's viewpoint incorporates models of oppression within healthcare that intend to further marginalize women, people of color, immigrants, and people with disabilities. Since created in 1992, the International Journal of Feminist Approaches to Bioethics has done much work to legitimize feminist work and theory in bioethics. In 2001, American professor Mary C. Rawlinson published The Concept of A Feminist Bioethics, an article criticizing traditional male-centric views on ethics. Rawlinson points out that traditional philosophical thought centralizes men and leaves women as an "other" or an accessory to men. As a result, the philosophy of "feminist bioethics" contradicts bioethics because women's rights are seen as a separate order from human rights. Finally, Rawlinson makes several recommendations for how women's experiences and bodies could reshape fundamental ethical principles, including acceptance, mutual respect, and the establishment of bodily autonomy for women.
=== Environmental bioethics === Bioethics, the ethics of the life sciences in general, expanded from the encounter between experts in medicine and the laity, to include organizational and social ethics, environmental ethics. As of 2019 textbooks of green bioethics existed.Particular emphasis on responsibility toward ecosystems, including resource conservation, environmental protection, and considerations of intergenerational justice.
=== Animal bioethics === Main Article: Animal ethics Animal bioethics is the study of animal-human dynamics, and how animals should be treated by humans. In a scientific framework, ethical issues of consideration include animal testing and eponymous taxonomy (the ethics of naming species after people). Biologists W. M. S. Russell and R. L. Burch developed the “3 R’s”, a set of 3 guidelines outlining recommended procedures to promote animal respect and reduce the amount of animals used in scientific research. They include determining alternatives to animal use (replacement), minimizing the number of animals used (reduction), and mitigating animal suffering if they are used in research (refinement).
==== Eponymous taxonomy ==== Taxonomy is the classification of animals in biological disciplines. Some species such as Aleiodes gaga are named after real people, which can be controversial, as in the case of Anophthalmus hitleri, a species of beetle hunted to endangerment by Nazi memorabilia collectors. Critics of eponymic naming conventions such as Guedes et. al argue that eponymous taxonomy is a form of scientific colonization because scientists from colonizing nations often had a stake in naming species native to countries in the Global South. Supporters of eponymous taxa argue that “famous” taxonomies are important for conservation efforts, as species of interest would be brought to public attention.
=== Gene therapy ethics ===