Biomedical Ethics a Philosophical Reflection

Abstract

ABSTRACT newlineThe main objective of this thesis is to give a philosophical account of biomedical ethics. newlineBiomedical ethics is an important wing of applied or practical ethics. It is important because newlineit deals with human life. There are various issues and perspectives of biomedical ethics. The newlinemost pertinent question of course is that why does biomedical science matter to philosophy. newlineTo answer this question we have to know the role and task of philosophy. Philosophy a newlinecritical study does not satisfy only with an appearance unlike other disciplines, rather it draws newlinea critical appraisal of reality or ontology and the foundation of knowledge. Thus, we can say newlinethat biomedical ethics matters to philosophy because it evaluates from critical philosophical newlineperspectives the moral or ethical worth of physicians. Indeed it seems to me that even though newlinebiomedical science is purely applied science but every physician at the beginning of his or newlineher profession takes a moral worth known as the Hippocratic Oath. This Hippocratic Oath newlineexists from time immemorial. It was prevailing in the ancient period as well. Thus from a newlinemoral perspective, the Hippocratic Oath has been regarded as the supreme principle of newlinebiomedical ethics. In the case of the Hippocratic Oath, the doctors or the physicians make newlinehabit of two things, such as, either to help the patient or at least to not harm the patient. Here newlinethe health of the patient is the first consideration to the doctor. Thus, I think that without newlineconventional ethics and morality, the concept of ethics and religion were deeply rooted in the newlineHippocratic Oath. newlineThe other important aspect that I have developed in my thesis is whether biomedical ethics is newlinedeontological or consequential. As practical ethics or applied ethics, biomedical ethics seems newlineto me consequential rather than deontological. However, we cannot rule out the deontological newlineaspect of biomedical ethics. The question then naturally arises: where lies the relevance of newlinedeontology in biomedical ethics? In this regard