ethics news & views

A successful year for Science, Ethics & Society Initiative

Coffee, movies, magazines, conferences: folks had a fun and informative time this past year working with the Science, Ethics, and Society Initiative (SESI).

We closed out a year of successful Bioethics CoffeeTalks, in which Emory faculty met with 5-10 students (including undergraduates, as well as graduate, law, and medical students) to discuss hot issues in bioethics. Featured guests included Howard Kushner, discussing a recent case at Emory; Pat Marsteller on 'Dangerous Ideas on Campus'; Nick Fotion on medical testing abroad; Art Kellerman and Tammy Quest on ethical dilemmas for EMS (ambulance) crews; Tanya Sudia-Robinson on end of life decision making in the NICU; Bobbi Patterson on science and theology; and Ben Freed on primate conservation.

Teaching ethics: the 2001 Faculty Ethics Seminar

The Center For Ethics faculty seminar this year focused on “Teaching Ethics.” The seminar proceeded with most of the participants discussing their classroom experiences and especially focusing on the various instructional challenges they encounter.

Teaching for America

In October 1988, Princeton senior Wendy Kopp needed a post-graduation plan. "I was searching for a place to direct my energy that would give me…significant responsibility," she recalls. "I wanted this opportunity right away, not ten or twenty years down the road. More important, I wanted to do something that would make a real difference in the world" (3).

Instilling the fear of God into corporations

In the promotional preface to Natural Capitalism: Creating the Next Industrial Revolution, Peter Senge writes, "If Adam Smith's The Wealth of Nations was the bible for the first industrial revolution, then Natural Capitalism may well prove to be it for the next." While his acclamation might be historically premature, Senge's point is worth noting. Natural Capitalism aims at nothing less than a second industrial revolution.

The ethics of marketing baby milk formula in developing nations

Breastmilk is a natural, safe and free human product. As Gabrielle Palmer explains, "Lactation is the very core of our identity…we call ourselves after the mammary gland, 'mammals'—animals that suckle their young." Breastfeeding has been seen by millions of mothers, in all societies throughout history, as a natural extension to the process of pregnancy and birth. A baby is born expecting to suckle, and a labouring mother will naturally produce milk in anticipation of this. Breastfeeding creates a strong maternal bond between mother and child, and it is designed to protect the baby against a number of conditions such as pneumonia and diabetes. Breastfeeding is a skill that needs to be learned, yet no woman is naturally unable to do it. Some have problems producing enough milk, some suffer from feelings of awkwardness or sore breasts. But with a little guidance and encouragement, any child can be nursed naturally.

[ Posted by Megan Fisher on June 01, 2001 | Article Link | More Opinion articles | Comments (5) ]

Ethical implications of gene testing

What exactly do we know from the Human Genome Project? Up until now, the project has resulted in sequencing the DNA of a majority of the human genetic code. While the DNA sequence may have the capacity to tell us all the physical and possibly even behavioral characteristics of a person, we are not yet able to glean this information from a person's DNA. In other words, the human genetic code has not been cracked completely. Currently, we know the function of only a small percentage of the estimated 30,000 genes in the human genome. Before we try to discover the function of every gene, we need to prepare for the implications that will result, especially regarding gene testing in the medical field.

Subsidiary companies, economic boycott, and big tobacco: the case of Phillip Morris

Carlo Filicie's article "On the Obligation to Keep Informed about Distant Atrocities" makes the argument that Americans have an obligation to know about the actions of our government and the governments of other countries, both within the United States and abroad (Human Rights Quarterly, Volume 12 Number 3; August 1990).

Dealing with death: doctor-patient dialogue

Consider the following scene: Mrs. Johnson, beloved grandmother of three, lies in a hospital bed, surrounded by her family and hoping for good news from pending medical tests. Having experienced sudden pain, she worries that something may be seriously wrong. Perhaps a broken bone or surgery may be involved? Her physician walks in and delivers bad news, standing at the foot of the bed and reading from the chart. The woman's internal injuries stem from undetected, malignant cancer, and she will die. After citing statistics and standing through an awkward silence, the doctor mutters a word about questions and walks from the room, leaving the patient shocked and her family tearful.

"Ethics in Action" a hit

This term I had the thrill of teaching "Ethics In Action" in Emory College.

Students participating in this course came from several departments, e.g. biology, political science, sociology, and religion. What they built in the class was an extraordinary environment of conversation, challenge and hope.

Healthcare providers connect at HCECG annual conference

The Health Care Ethics Consortium of Georgia hosted its annual statewide conference, "Ethics in a House Divided: Connecting Decision Makers in Healthcare Organizations," on May 22 and 23, 2001. The goal of the conference was to bring together the many different professionals who are called to address complex problems within healthcare organizations. In attendance were physicians, nurses, social workers, chaplains, administrators, health lawyers, risk managers, case managers, and others from around the state.