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Ethical pluralism without complementarity.

William J Fitzpatrick¹

¹Department of Philosophy, Virginia Tech, 229 Major Williams Hall, Blacksburg, VA 24061-0126, USA. wfitzpat@vt.edu

Perspectives in Biology and Medicine

|July 21, 2004

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This study critiques applying quantum complementarity to bioethics, suggesting it prevents resolving ethical disputes. It proposes an alternative ethical pluralism that allows for resolution, rather than accepting irreconcilable viewpoints.

Area of Science:

Bioethics
Philosophy of Science
Quantum Physics

Background:

Bohr's principle of complementarity, originating in quantum physics, suggests certain properties are complementary and cannot be simultaneously observed.
Grinnell, Bishop, and McCullough (2002) extended this concept to bioethics, proposing that many ethical disputes are irresolvable due to incommensurable perspectives.

Purpose of the Study:

To critically evaluate the extension of quantum complementarity to bioethical disputes.
To argue against the irresolvability of ethical disagreements based on this extension.
To propose an alternative framework for ethical pluralism that permits resolution.

Main Methods:

Philosophical analysis of the complementarity principle and its application to bioethics.

Keywords:

Analytical Approach Bioethics and Professional Ethics

Related Experiment Videos

Critique of the 'holism of irreducibly complementary perspectives' proposed by Grinnell, Bishop, and McCullough.

Argument for an alternative ethical pluralism model.

Main Results:

The application of quantum complementarity to bioethics faces significant conceptual difficulties.
The proposal for irresolvable ethical disputes is found to be problematic.
An alternative ethical pluralism, already established in moral philosophy, can accommodate inclusiveness and allow for dispute resolution.

Conclusions:

The extension of Bohr's complementarity to bioethics is not a viable model for understanding or resolving ethical disputes.
Ethical pluralism, rather than a 'complementarity' approach, offers a more productive framework for addressing complex moral disagreements.
The goal of achieving moral verdicts, even in complex cases, remains attainable through established philosophical methods.