1. Bioethics
What IS it??!!

2. 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

3. 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.

4. 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

5. 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”

6. 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