Scientific Self-Regulation—So Good, How Can it Fail?

To be a functional alternative to government regulation, self-regulation of science must be credible to both scientists and the public, accountable, ethical, and effective. According to some, serious problems continue in research ethics in the United States despite a rich history of proposed self-regulatory standards and oversight devices. Successful efforts at self-regulation in stem cell research contrast with unsuccessful efforts in research ethics, particularly conflicts of interest. Part of the cause for a lack of success in self-regulation is fragmented, disconnected oversight, and failure to embody genuine scientific and public consensus. To be accountable, credible and effective, self-regulation must be inclusive and multidisciplinary, publicly engaged, sufficiently disinterested, operationally integrated with institutional goals, and must implement a genuine consensus among scientists and the public. The mechanisms of self-regulation must be sufficiently broad in their oversight, and interconnected with other institutional forces and actors, that they do not create fragmented solutions.

高等院校辅导员师德心理结构研究

通过对学生进行测量,采用探索性因素分析办法构建高校辅导员师德心理结构,并经验证性因素分析验证了该结构。结果表明高校辅导员的师德心理结构是个多维结构,它主要由五个方面的因素构成：爱生包容、尊崇公德、廉洁自律、履职尽责、民主公正。     

活体肝移植的伦理学问题

目前,肝移植已成为治疗终末期肝病的有效手段,活体肝移植术部分解决了供肝短缺的问题,10多年来其发展迅速,并取得了良好的疗效,由于活体肝移植需从活的供体身上切取部分肝脏,且供体多为患者家属,故存在着供体的选择,供体的贡献与代价,患者的家庭,心理,社会等伦理等问题。因此在提高活体肝移植技术水平的同时,必须充分考虑活体肝移植的伦理学问题,遵守伦理原则,使活体肝移植不但能从技术上达到,在伦理学方面也是可行的。     

亲子鉴定:科技维护家庭伦理存在的道德悖论

亲子鉴定对于维护家庭应有的婚姻观念和伦理关系的积极意义是不言而喻的;但同时也带来一系列需要引起注意的新问题,如强化了男子亲权的意义而忽视了女子亲权的意义、强化性关系的生理和血缘伦理意义而弱化了性关系的社会伦理意义,容易因诱发和助长夫妻间的不信任情绪而导致婚姻和家庭信任危机等;因此,国家和社会应当对亲子鉴定进行必要的引导和限制。     

大学时期早期的通识伦理教育

通识教育的目的在于建立人的主体性,以完成人之自我解放,并与所互为之人文及自然环境建立生存主体性的关系.通识教育可区分为核心课程与一般课程两个层次.伦理是教养之大成,医学伦理是医者把认知、发展与修养在医患关系上的努力.动之以情,说之以理,诉立以法,是通识伦理教育的一般方法.     

Using Augustine in contemporary sexual ethics. A response to Gilbert Meilaender

In response to Gilbert Meilaender's innovative interpretation of Augustine and of Roman Catholic teaching, the author suggests (1) that Meilaender attributes to Augustine a more positive view of sexual pleasure than the texts will support, (2) that modern Roman Catholic teaching suggests that love should have priority over procreation as a meaning of sex; and (3) that the moral logic of Meilaender's argument does not require a rejection of all reproductive technologies. Nonetheless, the author agrees that a more critical attitude should be adopted toward the reasons for which technologically assisted reproduction is promoted and undertaken, as well as toward its social impact.     

Cultural Diversity and Patients with Reduced Capacity: The Use of Ethics Consultation to Advocate for Mentally Handicapped Persons in Living Organ Donation

Theoretical Medicine and Bioethics - Living organ donation will soon become the source of the majority of organs donations for transplant. Should mentally handicapped people be allowed to donate,...     

Transforming animal species: the case of ‘oncomouse’

In this paper I deal with ethical implications arising from animal biotechnology. I analyse some general questions surrounding the production of transgenic animals through a specific case study: the oncomouse. In particular, I explore ethical factors involved in the production of oncomice. This is because biologists genetically modify animals’ germ cells and refuse to modify human germ cells. I will underline how the international community has thus far justified this ‘ethical difference’. The opinions here expressed are personal and do not commit the European Commission. Maurizio Salvi is member of the Scientific Staff of the Higher Institute of Philosophy, University of Leuven. Currently he is a Scientific Officer (National Expert Detached) of the European Commission, (Directorate-General XII, Science Research and Development, Directorate B.II.3) dealing with Bioethics research.     

The case for responsibility of the IT industry to promote equality for women in computing

This paper investigates the relationship between the role that information technology (IT) has played in the development of women’s employment, the possibility of women having a significant influence on the technology’s development, and the way that the IT industry perceives women as computer scientists, users and consumers. The industry’s perception of women and men is investigated through the portrayal of them in computing advertisements. While women are increasingly updating their technological skills and know-how, and through this process are entering some positions in the workplace traditionally occupied by men, these achievements are not mirrored in their social and occupational status. The computer industry and higher education have worryingly low numbers of women, while the possibility of women influencing the development of computer technology is just emerging in feminist research. This paper argues that, though the IT industry, through their self-regulatory codes, subscribes to equal treatment of sexes, races and persons with disabilities, the industry nevertheless paints a stereotyped picture of inequality when portraying men and women in computer advertisements. As long as such a perception of women prevails within the industry, it will stand as a barrier to women having equal access to computer technology. If advertisements influence the way society perceives major social constructs and issues, then the computing industry has a social responsibility to portray men and women in an equal and non-stereotypical fashion. An earlier version of this paper was presented at the ETHICOMP98 Conference, Rotterdam, Holland, March 1998.     

Respect as Esteem: The Case of Counselling

To claim that respect is one of the cornerstones of professional ethics is uncontroversial. However, it has become commonplace in the philosophical literature to distinguish between different kinds of respect. This paper considers the distinction between ‘recognition respect,’ said to be owed to persons as such, and ‘appraisal respect,’ said to be owed to those persons whom merit it, in the context of the professional–client relationship. Using the practice of counselling as an example, it is argued that both kinds of respect have a place in the professional–client relationship, which is in turn articulated as a relationship between equally fallible moral agents.