Old generalizations never die
The best-known words of America’s World War II hero, General Douglas MacArthur, could be usefully paraphrased for bioethics: old generalizations never die; they just promise to return. Take eugenics. Nowadays coercive eugenics is universally reviled (although the consumer-driven kind probably has a bright future). Nonetheless, as if law-enforcement officials had never heard of the Nazis or compulsory sterilization campaigns in the US, there are constant reports of prosecutors using sterilization in plea bargains.
Or take the notion of “born criminals”, people whose biology destines them for a life of social deviance. That is the repudiated theory of Cesare Lombroso and other 19th century criminologists. They detected criminal tendencies in sloping foreheads and left-handedness. But the idea keeps bobbing to the surface, this time (as we report below), repainted as a genetic predisposition to sex-offending.
I suppose that another reason why bioethicists need a clear philosophical framework. Otherwise they will scud before the prevailing breeze.
Michael Cook
Myths die hard.
1428908520
- How long can you put off seeing the doctor because of lockdowns? - December 3, 2021
- House of Lords debates assisted suicide—again - October 28, 2021
- Spanish government tries to restrict conscientious objection - October 28, 2021
More Stories
China accused of sequencing Tibetan and Uyghur DNA to supply organ transplant market
A committee of the US Congress has heard shocking testimony about alleged forced organ harvesting from Uyghurs and Falun Gong...
European Parliament describes surrogacy as a form of human trafficking
The European Parliament has described “the exploitation of surrogacy” as a form of human trafficking in a legislative resolution on...
‘Forced surrogacy’ reported in the UK
A British charity working with victims of modern slavery has reported that it had received three reports of “forced surrogacy” for the...
We should react to atrocities in Gaza, says bioethicists
The war between Israel and Hamas in Gaza is creating tensions within the bioethics community. In an article in the...
Quadriplegic Quebec man chooses assisted dying rather than live with bedsores
A quadriplegic Quebec man has chosen assisted dying because of a bedsore he acquired when a hospital failed to give...
Transgender medicine critic Hilary Cass given police protection
The author of the recent review of Britain’s gender identity services for children and young people has told The Times (of London)...