BIOMEDICAL ETHICS IN

MODERN SOCIETY, ITS

SUBJECT, STATUS AND
RANGE
OF PROBLEMS.
 BIOMEDICAL
ETHICS
Biomedical ethics is the discipline of
ethics dealing with moral problems and
dilemmas arising in the practice of
medicine and the pursuit of biomedical
research.
Doctors may confront ethical dilemmas
regularly in their individual
relationships with the patients and in
institutional and societal decisions on
health care policy. Certain ethical rules
and principles are required to solve
ethical problem with the application to
Some ethical theories
differ, certain ethical
rules and principles
appear consistently.
These include non-
maleficence,
beneficence, respect for
individual autonomy,
confidentiality, and
justice.
These are the principles
of biomedical ethics.
 MODERN SOCIETY
BIOETHICS
Modern bioethics is based on a
pluralistic and multidisciplinary
approach, deriving its sources
from medicine, biology,
philosophy, law, theology, social
and behavioral sciences, and
history. The moral foundation of
modern biomedical ethics is based
upon four prima facie principles:
respect of autonomy, beneficence,
non-maleficence, justice.
 THE
SUBJECT
Bioethics as a
subject, is the
study of ethical,
social, and legal
issues that arise
in biomedicine
and the
biomedical
research.
THE ROLE OF BIOMEDICAL ETHICS IN MODERN SOCIETY

Bioethics finds application in many

disciplines and human issues. From
debates regarding the boundaries of life,
such as abortion of pregnancies or
euthanasia (ending a patient’s life to reduce
suffering), to surrogate motherhood, the
allocation of organs for transplantation or
the right to refuse medical care on religious
 THE STATUS
Bioethics is understood as a section of ethics that considers the field
of human relations to various living forms, as well as the field of
knowledge about human behavior in relation to others and as a
philosophical concept that concerns the moral aspect of human
behavior. With the increase in the number of ethically thinking
people, their capacity for compassion, it became possible to
recognize that human consciousness is becoming bioethical. The
development of bioethical thought in different countries of the world
and in different eras is associated with the emergence of outstanding
personalities who were ahead of their contemporaries intellectually
and spiritually. Let me make a small analysis of bioethical issues
from the perspective of the history of philosophy.
The most significant from the point of view of the
development of bioethical views of all eras was the Buddha
phenomenon. Buddhism believes in transformation: every
being can be born as an animal, demon, human, even God.
The relationship with other living beings occupies a central
place in the teachings of the Buddha. Its main principle is not
to harm any of them. A Buddhist monk has no right to
deliberately take the life of even ants. Buddha's philosophy
influenced the outlook of many generations of people who
lived in that part of the globe. The philosophy of ahimsa - do
no harm to anyone - has penetrated into Western countries and
has recently attracted interest as a philosophical and moral
teaching.
Later ( 5th and 1st centuries BC), the mathematician and
philosopher Pythagoras founded the first vegetarian association.
The teaching of Pythagoras was based on the principles of
humanity, self-restraint and justice. He considered good treatment
of animals as the basis of human moral behavior, considered ethical
vegetarianism a necessary condition for life and fair treatment of
animals. Pythagoras' respect for beauty in nature was so great that
he forbade harming fruit-bearing trees and plants. Pythagoras
belonged to animists and claimed that animals and humans have
souls of the same order. In ancient philosophy, in addition to the
school of animists, there were other philosophical schools:
vitalism, mechanism, anthropocentrism. Vitalism recognized the
difference between organic and inorganic matter.
But in contrast to animists, vitalists such as Aristotle emphasized
the lack of connection between the soul and the body. Aristotle did
not deny that men and women are animals, but he placed them at
the top of the natural hierarchy and argued that the less intelligent
should serve the more intelligent.
The teaching of mechanism emphasized that people and animals are
simple mechanisms, and the elements of Aristotle's teaching were
simplified and popularized by Xenophon, and were reflected in
primitive anthropocentrism. All these philosophical schools (except
for anthropocentrism) recognized the fundamental unity between
man and animal. Only anthropocentrists saw the gulf between them.
Ancient Rome also had outstanding ethicists: the philosophers
Porphyry and Plotinus, the statesman Seneca.
 RANGE OF
PROBLEMS
Bioethics involves problems relating to the beginning and end of human life, all
the way from issues relating to in-vitro fertilization and abortion to euthanasia
and palliative care.
The problems include:
1) Maintaining health and wellness as a physician.
“When physician health or wellness is compromised, so may the safety and
effectiveness of the medical care provided’’.
2) Reporting incompetent or unethical behaviors by the colleagues
“Medicine has a long tradition of self-regulation, based on physicians’ enduring
commitment to safeguard the welfare of patients and the trust of the public,”
3) Involving medical students in patient care
“Having contact with patients is essential for training medical students, the AMA
Code of Medical Ethics says. “However, the obligation to develop the next
generation of physicians must be balanced against patients’ freedom to choose
from whom they receive treatment.”
4) Acceptance of gifts from patients.
5) Working with surrogate decision-makers
6) Making decisions when professional, personal values diverge.
7) Navigating genetics and reproductive medicine.
Ongoing progress in genetic technologies opens new prospects for
understanding and treating disease, while advances in reproductive
technologies offer opportunities to create families in novel ways posing
challenges for patients, families, physicians and society.
8) Managing conflicts of interest. “The primary objective of the medical
profession is to render service to humanity; financial gain is a
subordinate consideration. Under no circumstances may physicians
place their own financial interests above the welfare of their own
patients,” says the AMA Code of Medical Ethics opinion on conflicts of
 Conclusio
n
Biomedical ethics is an integral part of a doctor's world view.
In the work of a surgeon or anesthesiologist, it occupies a
special place in connection with the increased skills of
specialists in this specialty. For successful work, an
anesthesiologist or a surgeon must have thorough and excellent
knowledge, refined practical skills, a set of moral principles
and beliefs, be a role model. All Doctors must follow
biomedical ethics to ensure there is also a good doctor-patient
relationship, and doctors should not pursue self-gain. Despite
all these, the medical ethics world continues to see a conflict
between patient autonomy and beneficence.
 THANK YOU FOR YOUR
ATTENTION
GROUP 111
OKHAIGBE DAVID ALUGBE