As we address topics in health and medicine in this blog, it is important to keep in mind the central tenants of bioethics. Even if these tenants are not explicitly stated in a blog post, they are ways to consider “what is ethical” in a given scenario.
“Nothing that you do in science is guaranteed to result in benefits for [hu]mankind. Any discovery, I believe, is morally neutral and it can be turned either to constructive or destructive ends”.
Arthur Galson, Ph.D. (Biologist/Plant Physiologist/Bioethicist)
As Dr. Galston’s quote demonstrates, scientific discoveries can have many implications. It is important to consider how knowledge and technology are being applied.
… This is where ethical principles come in:
Below you will see the central principles of bioethics that can be useful when engaging with content of this blog.
◦Autonomy is the principle that states people should be able to make informed decisions about what happens to them without coercion.
◦Beneficence involves doing or producing good for the person(s) involved.
◦Non-maleficence means not harming the person(s) involved, even through acts of omission.
◦Justice warrants an obligation to provide person(s) with what they are owed. In public life, we are obliged to treat people fairly and unbiasedly.
◦Fidelity refers to keeping a commitment and requires loyalty, fairness, truthfulness, and dedication to others.