The challenges of global bioethics

Area of Science:

• Bioethics
• Global Health Ethics
• Pandemic Response

Background:

• The Covid-19 pandemic has significantly increased publications on ethics and global bioethics.
• Existing definitions of international bioethics may not fully encompass the complexities arising from globalization.
• There is a growing need for a more comprehensive theoretical framework to address global bioethical issues.

Purpose of the Study:

• To argue that global bioethics is a broader concept than international bioethics.
• To propose a theoretical perspective that acknowledges human interconnectedness and relationality.
• To assert the compatibility and synergy between rights-based and care-based approaches in global bioethics.

Main Methods:

• Conceptual analysis and argumentation.
• Critique of existing definitions of international bioethics.
• Integration of feminist bioethical perspectives, specifically care-based ethics.

Main Results:

• Global bioethics necessitates a broader scope due to globalization's impact on moral problems.
• A theoretical framework emphasizing connectedness and relationality is required for global bioethics.
• Care-based feminist bioethics provides a valuable perspective for understanding global bioethical issues.

Conclusions:

• Global bioethics extends beyond international bioethics, requiring a wider theoretical lens.
• Acknowledging human connectedness and relationality is crucial for addressing global bioethical challenges.
• A rights-based approach complements and strengthens a care-based global bioethics.