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Editorial

Twenty first century is a period of momentous transition in human civilization. The creative power of 
mankind is being gradually lost under the pressure of technology. People are facing a grave danger of the 
crystallization of human society into a mechanized social living without a moral ideal. Now the highly 
materialistic world comes to place an exaggerated importance on the material things of life to the utter 
neglect of the moral and spiritual values. Fundamental human values are ignored. A creative renaissance 
of human civilization needs reverence for life and love. Only moral ideal cannot make men grow unless 
they are translated into practice. Bio-ethics can pave the way to keep its ideal for the welfare of the 
mankind.

The field of bioethics has addressed a broad swath of human inquiry,  ranging from debates over the 
boundaries of life (e.g. abortion, euthanasia) to the allocation of scarce health care resources (e.g. organ 
donation, health care rationing), reproductive rights, recreational drug use, surrogacy, population control 
and many other issues with practical moral values. Bioethicists are concerned with the ethical questions 
that arise in the relationships among life sciences, biotechnology, medicine, politics, law, philosophy, and 
theology. As philosophy in Britain and elsewhere moved away from the influences of logical positivism 
and emotivism, the development theories of ethics and their application to practical problems gained in 
interest. The publication of Principles of Biomedical Ethics by James F. Childress and Tom Beauchamp
—the first American textbook of bioethics—marked a transformative moment in the discipline. 

Some  bioethicists  would  narrow  ethical  evaluation  only  to  the  morality  of  medical  treatments  or 
technological innovations, and the timing of medical treatment  of humans. Others would broaden the 
scope of ethical  evaluation to include the morality of  all  actions that  might  help or  harm organisms 
capable of feeling fear and pain, and include within bioethics all such actions of a bear in relation to 
medicine  and  biology.  The  field  contains  individuals  trained  in  philosophy such  as  Peter  Singer of 
Princeton University and Daniel Brock of Harvard University, medically-trained clinicial ethicists such as 
Mark Siegler of the University of Chicago and Joseph Fins of Cornell University, lawyers such as Jacob 
Appel and Wesley J. Smith, political economists like Francis Fukuyama, and theologians including James 
Childress.

Bio-ethics can enhance world peace through practical application of ethical theories. Peace encompasses 
all  aspects  of  social  cohesion  including  equality,  freedom and  the  rule  of  law.  It  is  the  necessary 
prerequisite for sustainable human development for equitable access to resources and services. 

All the articles of this journal cover the issues related to environment, energy, gender, which affect the 
lives of  mankind.  These articles were presented in the first  UNESCO Ethics Education workshop in 
Bangladesh held in Dhaka on 17 and 18 March 2009.

I like to express my thanks to the Chairman of the Editorial Board Prof. Taslima Mansoor, Assistant 
Editor Prof. Shamima Parvin Laskar and the members for their sincere cooperation. 

We hope our search for practical morality or ethics will continue. 

Editor

Rowshan Ara Ph. D 

Professor of Philosophy, 

University of Dhaka

1

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Abortion
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/James_Childress
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/James_Childress
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Francis_Fukuyama
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wesley_J._Smith
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Joseph_Fins
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Daniel_Brock
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Peter_Singer
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Technology
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tom_Beauchamp
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/James_F._Childress
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Theology
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Philosophy
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Law
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Politics
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Medicine
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Biotechnology
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Life_sciences
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Organ_donation
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Organ_donation
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Euthanasia

