Respect for cultural diversity and the empirical turn in bioethics: a plea for caution
In the last two decades, there have been numerous calls for a culturally sensitive bioethics. At the same time, bioethicists have become increasingly involved in empirical research, which is a sign of dissatisfaction with the analytic methods of traditional bioethics. In this article, I will argue t...
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
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Tehran University of Medical Sciences
2012-10-01
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| Series: | Journal of Medical Ethics and History of Medicine |
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| Online Access: | https://jmehm.tums.ac.ir/index.php/jmehm/article/view/69 |
| _version_ | 1818059081031614464 |
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| author | Karori Mbugua |
| author_facet | Karori Mbugua |
| author_sort | Karori Mbugua |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | In the last two decades, there have been numerous calls for a culturally sensitive bioethics. At the same time, bioethicists have become increasingly involved in empirical research, which is a sign of dissatisfaction with the analytic methods of traditional bioethics. In this article, I will argue that although these developments have broadened and enriched the field of bioethics, they can easily be construed to be an endorsement of ethical relativism, especially by those not well grounded in academic moral philosophy. I maintain that bioethicists must resist the temptation of moving too quickly from cultural relativism to ethical relativism and from empirical findings to normative conclusions. Indeed, anyone who reasons in this way is guilty of the naturalistic fallacy. I conclude by saying that properly conceptualized, empirical research and sensitivity to cultural diversity should give rise to objective rational discourse and criticism and not indiscriminate tolerance of every possible moral practice. Bioethics must remain a normative discipline that is characterized by rigorous argumentation. |
| first_indexed | 2024-12-10T13:10:51Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-7405849b08da4d73b80195ebfa53dcd8 |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 2008-0387 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-12-10T13:10:51Z |
| publishDate | 2012-10-01 |
| publisher | Tehran University of Medical Sciences |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Journal of Medical Ethics and History of Medicine |
| spelling | doaj.art-7405849b08da4d73b80195ebfa53dcd82022-12-22T01:47:41ZengTehran University of Medical SciencesJournal of Medical Ethics and History of Medicine2008-03872012-10-015Respect for cultural diversity and the empirical turn in bioethics: a plea for cautionKarori Mbugua0University of Nairobi, P. O. Box 30197-00100 Nairobi, KenyaIn the last two decades, there have been numerous calls for a culturally sensitive bioethics. At the same time, bioethicists have become increasingly involved in empirical research, which is a sign of dissatisfaction with the analytic methods of traditional bioethics. In this article, I will argue that although these developments have broadened and enriched the field of bioethics, they can easily be construed to be an endorsement of ethical relativism, especially by those not well grounded in academic moral philosophy. I maintain that bioethicists must resist the temptation of moving too quickly from cultural relativism to ethical relativism and from empirical findings to normative conclusions. Indeed, anyone who reasons in this way is guilty of the naturalistic fallacy. I conclude by saying that properly conceptualized, empirical research and sensitivity to cultural diversity should give rise to objective rational discourse and criticism and not indiscriminate tolerance of every possible moral practice. Bioethics must remain a normative discipline that is characterized by rigorous argumentation.https://jmehm.tums.ac.ir/index.php/jmehm/article/view/69EthicsCultural sensitivityEmpirical bioethicsEthical relativismNaturalistic fallacy |
| spellingShingle | Karori Mbugua Respect for cultural diversity and the empirical turn in bioethics: a plea for caution Journal of Medical Ethics and History of Medicine Ethics Cultural sensitivity Empirical bioethics Ethical relativism Naturalistic fallacy |
| title | Respect for cultural diversity and the empirical turn in bioethics: a plea for caution |
| title_full | Respect for cultural diversity and the empirical turn in bioethics: a plea for caution |
| title_fullStr | Respect for cultural diversity and the empirical turn in bioethics: a plea for caution |
| title_full_unstemmed | Respect for cultural diversity and the empirical turn in bioethics: a plea for caution |
| title_short | Respect for cultural diversity and the empirical turn in bioethics: a plea for caution |
| title_sort | respect for cultural diversity and the empirical turn in bioethics a plea for caution |
| topic | Ethics Cultural sensitivity Empirical bioethics Ethical relativism Naturalistic fallacy |
| url | https://jmehm.tums.ac.ir/index.php/jmehm/article/view/69 |
| work_keys_str_mv | AT karorimbugua respectforculturaldiversityandtheempiricalturninbioethicsapleaforcaution |