Katalog mediteranske bioetike
A „catalogue“ of similarities and differences among Euro-Mediterranean bioethical traditions
Issue: The first mention of „bioethics“ in scientific literature
1976
(Francisc Abel)
1973
(Menico Torchio)
1985
(Valentin Pozaić)
1994 (Ismini Kriari; Emeritus Prof. of Constitutional Law, Panteion University of Athens).
Issue: The beginnings of bioethics were influenced by…
Catholic Church (Jesuits)
Scientist (biologist)- layperson (M. Torchio)
Catholic Church (Jesuits)
Greek Law (I. Kriari) and
Greek Orthodox Church
Original import of bioethics
Georgetown
Van Rensselaer Potter (M. Torchio), otherwise Georgetown
Georgetown (Ivan Šegota) or Georgetown via Rome (V. Pozaić)
I. Kriari; Myrto Dragona (Emeritus Professor, University of Crete and the University of Athens, Ancient Philosophy and Moral Philosophy); Eleni Kalokairinou (President of the Hellenic Philosophical Society, Former Professor of the Aristotle University of Thessaloniki),
Stavroula Tsinorema (Professor of the University of Crete), Miltiades Vantsos (Professor of the Aristotle University of Thessaloniki, Christian Ethics).
Most influential pioneers of bioethics
F. Abel (theologian/physician, Jesuit), Javier Gafo (theologian, Jesuit), Diego Gracia (philosopher, physician), etc.
Elio Sgreccia (Jesuit, cardinal); Adriano Bompiani (gynaecologist); Paolo Cattorini (physician and philosopher);
Uberto Scarpelli (layer and philosopher); Eugenio Lecaldano (philosopher); Maurizio Mori (philosopher), Demetrio Neri (philosopher
Luisella Battaglia (philosopher), etc.
I. Šegota (Marxist politologist), Ante Čović (Marxist ethicist), V. Pozaić (Jesuit, bishop)
I. Kriari; M. Dragona; E. Kalokairinou; S. Tsinorema; M. Vantsos; Evangelos Protopapadakis (Assoc. Prof., University of Athens (Moral Philosophy, Applied Ethics)
Dominant stream in present-day bioethics
Both Catholic Church and laypersons (D. Gracia and others)
Catholic associations (Scienza & Vita, Società Italiana di Bioetica e per i Comitati Etici), lay associations (Consulta di Bioetica and Associazione Luca Coscioni), and pluralist associations (e.g., Istituto Italiano di Bioetica)
Laypersons (integrative and European bioethics)
Legal approach,
philosophical approaches (Kantian ethics and utilitarianism), Christian ethics
(M. Vantsos)
Other important streams
José María García Gómez-Heras (eco-ethics)
Nikola Visković (laywer)
The first mention/s of Fritz Jahr
2015 (Ricardo Andrés Roa-Castellanos, Emanuele Valenti and Octavio Márque Mendoza; Fabiola Leyton)
2010 (Antonio Spagnolo)
2008 (Hans-Martin Sass)
2012 (E. Kalokairinou)
Major promoters of Potter's (global) bioethics
Marcelo Palacios
Brunetto Chiarelli; Marianne Gensabella Furnari; Giovanni Russo
I. Šegota
2012 (E. Kalokairinou)
Major promoters of European bioethics
María Carmen Velayos Castelo; F. Leyton; Manuel Jesús López Baroni, Ramón Maria Nogués i Carulla
L. Battaglia
Department of Social Sciences and Medical Humanities and „Fritz Jahr“ Centre (University of Rijeka); Integrative Bioethics school and Social Ecology school (Faculty of Humanities and Social Sciences Zagreb); N. Visković Centre (Split)
E. Kalokairinou; M. Vantsos
Are there any „professional bioethicists“?
The presence of bioethics expert is envisaged by the legislation on Ethics Committees, but there is no regulation of the profession. In an opinion, the ICB proposed solutions to ascertain the skills of the bioethics expert in Ethics Committees (The role of Bioethics Experts in Ethics Committees, 28 May 2021)
One in Rijeka (at Clinical Hospital Centre), no information about other cities
What is the role of the National Bioethics Committee (NBC)?
The Italian Committee for Bioethics (ICB) was established by a decree signed by the President of the Council of Ministers on 28 March 1990 with the task of expressing opinions, and also for the purpose of preparing legislative acts, to address the ethical and legal problems that may arise as a result of the progress in scientific research and technological applications on life. The opinions and motions approved by the Committee are available on the website.
NBC („Nacionalno bioetičko povjerenstvo za medicinu“) was founded in 2001 by the Government with the task of bringing opinions, directives, recommendations, etc. In mostly biomedical issues (euthanasia, cloning, etc.), but also with respect to bioethical education and medical deontology. After 4-5 years, the NBC fell into oblivion.
National Committee of Bioethics and Technoethics advises the state in relation to the developments of the Sciences of Life and the new technologies more generally.
Major explicitely bioethical journals
Medicina e Morale – Rivista Internazionale di Bioetica
Jahr – European Journal of Bioethics (published by the Rijeka „Fritz Jahr“ Centre since 2010, twice a year)
Bioethica (publication of the National Committee of Bioethics and Technoethics, since 2004, twice a year).
Major explicitely bioethical book series
Scienza, medicina etica, edited by „Vita e Pensiero“, Milan; Medicina e Scienze Umane, edited by Europa Scienze Umane editrice, Milan; Quaderni di Etica e Medicina, edited by Fondazione Lanza and Gregoriana Libreria Editrice, Padua
Bioetika (Pergamena, Zagreb; 53 titles since 1997)
Βιοηθικοί προβληματισμοί (Bioethical Problems), Papazissis Publications, Athens and Thessaloniki
Major features of systematic bioethical education
At school, bioethics is not the subject of a discipline, but many bioethics projects are implemented. The IBC in a 2010 opinion (Bioethics and education in schools) highlighted the need for a more systematic education in bioethics. At the University, bioethics is taught in many degree courses, both in the humanities and sciences.
BEAGLE: Bioethical Education and Attitude Guidance for Living Environment
(https://beagleproject.eu/educational-resources/
https://beagleproject.eu/documents/)
Is there a MA/MSc or PhD programme in bioethics?
PhD programme in Bioethics: University of Bologna; University Campus Bio-medico, Roma; Ateneo Pontificio Regina Apostolorum.
Masters in Bioethics:
First level masters – Bioetica, Pluralismo e consulenza etica, Università di Torino; Bioetica dell’area materno-infantile, Università LUMSA, Roma;
Bioetica e Sessuologia, Istituto Teologico San Tommaso, Messina;
Second level masters: Bioetica clinica e deontologia, Università di Napoli; Bioetica e formazione, Università Cattolica di Roma- Pontificio Istituto Teologico Giovanni Paolo II, Roma.
NO
MA in Bioethics: University of Crete since 2002.
PhD in Bioethics: University of Crete (S. Tsinorema).
MA in Animals’ Welfare, Ethics and the Law: University of Athens (E. Protopapadakis)
1st PhD Thesis on bioethics
Institute of Bioethics, Catholic University of Rome (1991/2)
Nada Gosić, University of Rijeka – Faculty of Medicine (1999)
National research projects devoted to bioethics
National Research Projects (PRIN) 2022: “Medicine plus, AI, Law and ethics for an augmented and human-centred-Medicine”
EuroBioAct (2014-2017; Croatian Science Foundation, CSF); EuroBioMed (2021-2024; CSF), both at University of Rijeka, Faculty of Medicine
