Definition of humanity important in bioethics, says expert

Published: 2004-01-19

WASHINGTON (CNS) -- Bioethical discussions need to focus on the central question of "what it means to be human," said Dr. Edmund Pellegrino, retired professor of medicine and medical ethics at Jesuit-run Georgetown University in Washington. Without an understanding of what humanity is, it is hard to ethically analyze the positive and negative aspects of advances in medicine and science, he said. Pellegrino spoke Jan. 16 during a panel discussion in Washington sponsored by the President's Council on Bioethics, an official advisory group to President Bush. The panel discussion was on the relationship between the humanities and science. "The paradox is that there is no agreement on what it means to be human," said Pellegrino. "But we can't avoid this question in a democratic pluralistic society."

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