Bioethics What IS it??!!

Look at the word itself: Bio- Life or living Ex.’s Biology- the study of life Biography- The story of one’s life Ethics Principles of honor & morality Accepted rules of conduct ACCEPTED does not mean AGREE with!! Moral principles of an individual

Applied to BIOETHICS: Ethics seeks to determine what a person should do, or the best course of action, and provides reasons why. It also helps people decide how to behave and treat one another, and what kinds of communities would be good to live in.

Topic Analysis We will look at topics Give scientific facts Or research Topics are then analyzed for persuasive facts (as you see them) Evaluate HOW YOU FEEL about the topic Justify your stance with solid, reasonable facts that are anchored in the research

Differentiating questions Questions that are ETHICAL in nature are the important ones Involve opinion Open-ended NOT scientific: “How can a gene be inserted into a plant?” OR personal preference “what is the most important gene to insert into the plant?” MUST be ethical “SHOULD we insert the gene into the plant”

Four important reasons for Bioethics: Advance your scientific understanding Prepare you to make informed, thoughtful choices/decisions Promote respectful dialog among people with diverse views Cultivate/promote and apply critical reasoning skills