Bioethics Discussion Blog: Criteria for Ethical Scientific Research? If So, What are They?

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Monday, March 09, 2009

Criteria for Ethical Scientific Research? If So, What are They?



With President Obama reversing the presidential order of President Bush from 2001 regarding federal funding for research with embryonic stem cells, the question arises with regard to how far should scientific research be separated from political, moral and religious views. Can scientific research be ethical simply because the goal is to cure devastating diseases of humans despite treading on the religious and moral views of some against that the use and destruction of human embryos? Some may readily argue that scientific research cannot be ethical simply because it is of great human benefit despite the methodology. The supporting arguments for such an argument could be the experience with the Tuskegee syphilis studies or the human experiments in the Nazi era. And where does politics enter the equation? Should politics which considers views of part or the majority of the population affect the direction or support of scientific inquiry? If government finances research should government set the standards for research? Should scientific research with the goal of human beneficence as the result be ethical by itself and not restricted, hindered or diminished because of political, moral or religious issues? Or should the studies be defined as ethical only based on specific criteria? If so, then what criteria should society use when considering whether any scientific research is ethical? ..Maurice.

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posted by Maurice Bernstein, M.D. @ 8:26:00 PM   1 comments

1 Comments:

At Wednesday, March 11, 2009 7:03:00 AM, Anonymous Anonymous said...

how can you be so certain that all of scientific research is intended for human benefit? i happen to know of many scientists who are not above the normal temptations of greed. they use their intelligence, they play upon the hopes of the truly desperate for personal gain. so we as a society have to have stringent ethics around science. history has proven that it is not always used for good..........i happen to believe that it is used for profit and fame first....this destroys and breaks down any society, so much so i think that we are better to suffer the disease than compromise our values as a civilization. annette ross

 

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