Biodiversity & Environment

Bioethics is the study of the ethical and moral implications of new biological discoveries and biomedical advances, as in the fields of genetic engineering and drug research. A multidisciplinary field that combines elements of philosophy, theology, history, and law with medicine, nursing, health policy, and the biomedical sciences and “bioethics” was coined in the 1960s. Here are a few examples that illustrate different areas of bioethics- Genetic Engineering, End-of-Life Decisions, Research Ethics, Artificial Intelligence and Medicine, Abortion, etc.
The Four Principles Approach to bioethics was popularized by Tom Beauchamp and James Childress in their book “Principles of Biomedical Ethics.” The four principles are often used as a framework for analyzing ethical issues in health care and are universally applicable across different cultures and traditions. They include:

Autonomy: Autonomy is the principle that individuals have the right to make informed decisions about their own health care. It emphasizes respect for the decision-making capacities of autonomous persons and their right to self-determination. It’s why informed consent is necessary – patients need to know the risks, benefits, and alternatives before they can make an informed decision about their treatment.

Beneficence: Beneficence refers to the obligation to act in the best interests of the patient or to promote the well-being of others. This could involve providing effective treatments, preventing harm, or promoting the patient’s health. It requires health care professionals to consider their actions and choose those that will result in the most benefit for the patient. It is closely tied to utilitarianism and ideas of cost-benefit analysis (basically, we want to use the limited resources we have to do the “most good” we can).

Non-Maleficence: Non-maleficence means “do no harm.” Healthcare professionals must strive not to harm their patients, either intentionally or unintentionally. It is closely related to beneficence, but while beneficence asks healthcare providers to actively contribute to the patient’s health, non-maleficence asks them to avoid causing harm. For example, if a proposed treatment could potentially cause significant harm that outweighs the potential benefits, the principle of non-maleficence would dictate that the treatment should not be provided.

Justice: Justice in healthcare often refers to fairness in the distribution of healthcare resources. It concerns the equitable distribution of benefits, risks, and costs. In a healthcare context, it could involve considerations of who should receive treatment when resources are scarce, or how to ensure access to healthcare for all segments of the population, regardless of their socio-economic status.