Why Teach Bioethics in the Classroom?
A New Look at an Old Debate
by Carolyn Csongradi
"Men are neither angels nor devils; that makes morality
both necessary and possible." H.L.Hart (18)
For centuries, philosophers, theologians, and politicians have
written about different ethical systems which influence how personal
choices are made, and then are balanced against the more general
goals of society. Individuals have a tendency to champion their
own welfare. At the same time society wants to advance the general
welfare without allowing any one group or individual to benefit
at the expense of another. Recognizing that these needs may sometimes
conflict, laws and covenants codify what society regards as moral
or immoral for individuals. One important assumption has been
that those defining what is acceptable are fundamentally moral
individuals, who have an idea of what is "good" and
"right". How do we become morally responsible? Where
do we acquire values, principles and the reasoning skills to solve
moral problems? The links below are the result of an investigation of these questions and their answers. For those visual thinkers out there, graphic indices of this material are included alongside the table of contents below. The superscripted numbers you see throughout the text link to the bibliography.
About the Author: Carolyn Csongradi
For their valuable insight and thoughtful suggestions, the author wishes
Nicholas H. Ney, Ph.D.
Assistant Clinical Professor
Department of Psychiatry and
Ernle W.D. Young, Ph.D.
Medical Ethics (Pediatrics)
Stanford University School of Medicine