Welcome

Welcome to my blog! The main goal of this site is to raise awareness of bioethical issues present in our society today and to provide a place of discussion for individuals who have an interest in the field. For those of you who are new to the field, here is an overview:

What is Bioethics?

Bioethics is the study of controversial ethics brought about by advances in biology and medicine.

What are bioethicists concerned with?

Bioethicists are concerned with the ethical questions that arise in the relationships among life sciences, biotechnology, medicine, politics, law, religion, and philosophy.

What are some of the main issues within the bioethical field?

Bioethics addresses a wide range of medical and scientific issues, some of the most prominent being the boundaries of life (abortion, euthanasia), surrogacy, the allocation of scarce health care resources (organ donation, health care rationing), and the right to refuse medical care for cultural and religious reasons. 

How much does religion influence bioethics?

While there is no doubt that religion plays a key role in shaping different views on the various bioethical issues (e.g. I will be focusing mainly on the Catholic viewpoint), there are some basic principles that all bioethicists agree on regardless of religion. 

What are the basic bioethical values/principles?

The National Commission for the Protection of Human Subjects of Biomedical and Behavioral Research identifies in its Belmont Report (1979) the basic ethical principles that should underlie the conduct of all biomedical and behavioral research involving human beings, including autonomy, beneficence and justice. Additional principles have been added to the list, such as non-maleficence, human dignity, and the sanctity of life.

Why should I care about bioethics?

Today biomedical and biotechnological advances are being made faster than ever before, with the goal of the betterment of society in mind. There is so much more that can be done nowadays thanks to biology. However, just because a biological practice can be done does not mean that it is the ethical or right thing to do. Without studying the ethics behind different biological practices and without establishing a ethical code for biological procedure, it will become increasingly difficult to practice biology ethically in the future. This is an issue that touches us all, whether we are doctors, surgeons, nurse practitioners, fathers, mothers, or students and is thus of prime importance. 

I hope now that you see what a wide scope of study bioethics covers and why it is of such interest. I hope that you will join the blog, keep up to date with the posts, and will participate in the discussion. Please sign up to receive updates, newsletters, media, and alerts. 

Again welcome!

Matthew Laird