Life’s Prayer'Lord, support us all day long

until shadows lengthen, evening comes,

the busy world hushed, the fever of life is over

and our life's work is done.

Then, in Thy tender mercy, give us safe lodging, holy rest

and everlasting peace at your side for eternity.'

Amen

Bioethics:Natural? Unnatrual?

Evaluate the historical reasoning and trends involving bioethics in society and decide the line between natural

and unnatural human intervention in bioethical justice.

www.ginagruenbacher.weebly.com

Historical reasoning and trends The study of different elements in bioethics has

greatly increased over the past generations and continues on today.

According to Allan M. Brandt a professor at Harvard University, “As recently as 1970, the world of medicine was sacrosanct; its consider-able cultural and political authority made it almost unthinkable that so much in medicine would become open to public debate, and that patients might reclaim authority over medical decisions and practice” (Brandt).

Hist. reasoning continued Today, advanced medical research is

being taught at schools and are being tested or modified.

The concern of Bioethics continues to rise and has been argued over the past decades of the 20th century.

In the 1960s, the “Early Patient Rights Activities,” that “focused principally on psychiatric issues of civil commitment and the right to refuse treatment” (Brandt)

Abortion-Artificial termination of pregnancy.Animal rights-Acknowledging the fundamental rights of animals.Artificial insemination-Introduction of semen into the oviduct or uterus by artificial means.Assisted suicide-Helping terminally ill person to commit suicide.Biopiracy-Illegal theft and patenting of indigenous plants for own use.Blood/blood plasma trade-Illegal trading of blood and blood plasma.Body modification-Deliberate altering of the human body for non-medical reasons.Brain-computer interface-A concept which facilitates direct interaction between brain and external device.Cloning-Research involving creation of a copy of some biological entity.Contraception-Birth control by using various contraceptive measures.Cryonics-A process wherein the body of a seriously ill or a deceased individual is frozen to stop the decomposition of tissues.Eugenics-Improving genetic qualities by means of selective breeding.Euthanasia-Killing an individual (or animal) without making them suffer from pain.Gene theft-The illegal process of acquiring genetic material of some other human being.Gene therapy-The process of replacing defective genes with normal or genetically altered genes.Genetically modified food-Consumption of food derived from genetically modified organisms.Genetically modified organism-An organism which has undergone genetic modification by the means of genetic engineering.Human cloning-Creating a genetically identical copy of a human.Human enhancement-Overcoming the limitations of body by artificial means.Life extension-Attempts to either slow down or reverse the processes of aging to maximize life span.Life support-Resorting to medical equipment to keep an individual alive.Medical malpractice-Professional negligence by a medical officer which results in harm to the patient.Medical research-Research carried out to aid and support the body in the field of medicine.Nanomedicine-The application of nanotechnology in the field of medicine.Organ transplant-Unfair donation of any part of the body on the basis of race, class, etc.Pain management-The use of artificial measures to ease the suffering associated with pain.Parthenogenesis-Conception of human beings without fertilization by a man.Population control-Government efforts to regulate the growth of population.Procreative beneficence-Moral obligation of people to have healthy children by resorting to natural or artificial means.Psychosurgery-Brain surgery carried out to ease the complications associated with mental or behavioral problems.Recreational drug use-Use of psychoactive substances with the intention of getting a 'high'.Reproductive rights-The legal rights and freedom pertaining to human reproduction and reproductive health.Sex reassignment therapy-Medical procedures pertaining to sex reassignment of both trans-gender and inter-sexual individuals.Sperm donation-Donation of sperm to be eventually used to achieve pregnancy in a woman who is not the person's sexual partner.Spiritual drug use-Use of psychoactive substances in religious or spiritual context.Suicide-The act of killing oneself.Surrogacy-A process wherein a woman agrees to carry and deliver a child for a contracted party.Transhumanism-An international movement which advocates the use of science and technology to improve the mental and physical capacities of humans.Vaccination-A dispute over the morality, ethics, effectiveness as well as the safety of vaccination process.Xenotransplantation-Surgical procedure in which tissue or whole organ is transferred from one species to another.

Unnatural Bioethics Abortion-Artificial termination of pregnancy.

Cloning-Research involving creation of a copy of some biological entity.

Sperm Donation-Donation of sperm to be eventually used to achieve pregnancy in a woman who is not the person's sexual partner.

Suicide- The act of killing oneself.

Natural Bioethics Dying of old age or sickness- letting

nature and life run on its own course and letting death itself choose its own time; not humans.

Natural Childbirth- letting nature bring life into this world.

My Sister’s Keeper http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bX

0dxizzjME

Group Activity In your groups, pick one of the

subjects on the sheet and determine where it is natural or unnatural. Explain.

Works Citied Naik, Abhijit. Buzzle.com. Buzzle.com,

08 July 2010. Web. 20 Mar. 2013. <http://www.buzzle.com/articles/bioethical-issues.html>.

Brandt, Allan M. "Bioethics: Its History and Definition." Bioethics: Its History and Definition. N.p., n.d. Web. 20 Mar. 2013. <http://www.bucklin.org/bioethics-history.htm>.