Bioethics as a second-order discipline: who is not a bioethicist?

Area of Science:

• Bioethics
• Philosophy of Science
• Professional Ethics

Background:

• A debate exists regarding bioethics' status as an independent academic discipline.
• Establishing a discipline requires unique expertise, methods, and standards.
• The current literature offers various perspectives on potential unique expertise in bioethics.

Purpose of the Study:

• To critically examine proposed areas of expertise for bioethicists.
• To determine if any proposed expertise meets the criteria for a unique disciplinary foundation.
• To ascertain the nature of expertise required for successful bioethics practice.

Main Methods:

• Literature review of existing scholarship on bioethics expertise.
• Critical analysis of various proposed expertise domains (e.g., philosophical ethics, casuistry, principlism).
• Evaluation of these domains against the requirement for unique disciplinary knowledge.

Main Results:

• No single area of expertise uniquely defines bioethics practice.
• Proposed expertise domains like philosophical ethics, casuistry, and principlism are insufficient on their own.
• Bioethics expertise is multidisciplinary, drawing from diverse professions and fields.

Conclusions:

• Bioethics does not meet the criteria for a new, independent discipline.
• Expertise in bioethics is best characterized as a second-order discipline.
• Bioethics integrates knowledge and skills from multiple established fields rather than possessing a unique core.