Medical Ethics Dictionary

Author: Du Zhizheng
Publisher:
Publish Date: 2004-06-01
Features: ★ This dictionary is divided into 25 categories based on its content, including general ethical terms and schools closely related to medical ethics, basic medical ethics terms, medical terms closely related to ethics, as well as clinical, traditional Chinese medicine, preventive and health care, reproductive technology, genetic technology, population and family planning, sex medicine, organ transplantation, death and euthanasia, medical research, patients and medical personnel, hospital management, health policies, behavioral medicine, medical psychology, social medicine, medical law, medical ethics literature, figures, organizations, events, religion, and other aspects of medical ethics, especially its development in bioethics. This is not only a major concern for the medical community worldwide but also for various sectors of society. Currently, almost every significant advancement in medical science sparks debates over social, ethical, and legal issues. The genetic engineering of the 1970s was one such case, as was the in vitro fertilization and surrogacy of the 1980s, the cloning of the 1990s, and the heated discussions surrounding embryonic stem cell research at the dawn of the 21st century. As the renowned American medical critic Roy Porter said, "Medicine has conquered many serious diseases and alleviated pain, but its goals have become less clear, and its authority has become chaotic. What is its purpose? Where does it stop? Is its primary responsibility to keep people alive under any circumstances? Has its evolution made people healthier? Or is it merely a service industry that caters to whatever bizarre demands its customers make, such as cosmetic or facial reconstruction?" The importance of the issue has reached such a point that leaders, governments, and parliaments in many countries have issued statements and resolutions to prevent certain medical scientific achievements from harming humanity. The bioethics that has garnered widespread attention from the medical, sociological, and philosophical communities is precisely on the agenda in this context.