Bioethics and Philosophy of Bioethics: A New Orientation

Abstract

Bioethics must emerge from biological findings. Without biological findings or without a basic biological understanding of the human person there can be no bioethics. Here I take the view that even though biological findings are scientific discoveries, the reason why they can become the basis for biomedical technology or simply bio-genetic engineering skills is that, relative to a deeper understanding of humanity, they generate values for human pursuit, and values generate norms of human action. The present state of bio-medical technological development and bio-genetic engineering research is so full of miraculous achievements and results that we are under pressure to ascertain their values, and also to formulate or decide what norms and rules of action can be formulated, adopted and justified.