BIOETHICAL REFLECTIONS: Philosophy, biotechnology and anthropology of death
Synopsis
This publication compiles the works presented by academics from the Autonomous University of Aguascalientes (UAA) and other higher education institutions in the country at the 2nd Bioethics Encounter, held from October 16 to 17, 2007, and the 2nd Bioethics Workshops held from November 25 to 26, 2008. The aim is to preserve the record of the bioethical reflections presented at the UAA and to stimulate reflection among the university community and society in general on these crucial issues related to the advancements and applications of technology and science in the realm of human life. This includes the need to foster individual autonomy so that people can make free and responsible decisions about the end of life, should the situation require it.
There are at least two reasons for publishing these works. First, to document the fact that the Autonomous University of Aguascalientes is, and has been, at the forefront of new knowledge emerging worldwide, such as bioethics. Bioethics is a humanistic discipline that emerged in the second half of the 20th century, grounded in the significant advancements of technology and science applied to life in general and human life in particular. These advancements have significantly transformed the world, necessitating a new type of knowledge that can, on the one hand, establish rational limits on the spectacular developments of science and technology, and on the other, foster ethical consciousness among individuals so that they can make the best decisions about their lives. The second reason is that the topics addressed in the works included in these memoirs remain highly relevant and will not easily become obsolete over time.
These reflections, as presented in these texts, can be divided into three sections. The first addresses the bioethical questions that this discipline poses to philosophy and the need for philosophy to clarify concepts such as the moral status of certain entities and the moral obligations towards them: embryos, fetuses, disabled individuals, experimental animals, organs, germ cells, among others; to reconsider the concept of personhood and the interpretation of personal identity; to clarify the distinction between the natural and the artificial; and to specify the term human dignity and to know how to value life at all stages. This section also discusses the interdisciplinary nature of bioethics, which breaks with a positivist and neopositivist view of knowledge, a view that sharply separates the field of science and technology from the humanities. This interdisciplinary perspective on knowledge is what should be fostered in all areas of higher education, as only then will it be possible to promote the dialogue that bioethics fosters between the techno-sciences and the humanities.
The second section discusses the benefits of genetic engineering and molecular biology, as well as the ethical problems posed by these disciplines, including the serious danger posed by the manipulation of life, particularly human life. Another issue raised in this section is the social inequality that arises from new biotechnological products, as only those who have sufficient resources can access or use them.
The third section examines the moral problems that arise at the end of human life, caused by the emergence of intensive care units (ICUs), organ and tissue transplants, the new concept of brain death, cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) techniques, and life support techniques (LSV), among others.
Chapters
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Presentation
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The interdisciplinary nature of bioethics
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Science and bioethics in the face of social inequality
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Bioethical dilemmas in gerontology
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Living will and self-appointed guardianship
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Bioethics and intensive care medicine
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The good death
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Death, a human phenomenon
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Death with dignity and autonomy: Is it possible to move towards a dignified death?
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