Japanese discussions on the concept of "person" and its function in bioethics

A survey of responses by Japanese bioethicists toward the notion of "person" and its use in mainstream Angloamerican bioethics reveals that Japanese bioethics, while taking the importance of Angloamerican bioethics as a starting point, has quickly moved beyond a mere receptive attitude. This article first briefly elucidates the historical background of the Japanese response by sketching out earlier accommodations of the philosophical concept of personhood in Japanese philosophy. It moves on to explore some of the criticisms levelled at the notion of personhood employed by bioethicists like Tooley or Singer, and analyses their primary motives and content. The following section introduces A. Muramatsu's attempt to critically reconstruct the notion of person, integrating aspects of modern philosophy of the human body. The critical evaluation of the theories explored makes a strong case for integrating the Japanese bioethical experience into the international discussion.