The Significance of Bioethics as an Ethical Inquiry into Science

Bioethics is a relatively recent research field that blends the cognitive and the ethical within a unified framework, such that neither domain stands out from the other. Instead, bioethics is a bridge that connects advanced knowledge, science, and technology with values, principles, and moral considerations within the bounds of what is scientifically and technologically possible and ethically permissible. Bioethics emerged as a response to numerous ethically charged issues brought to light by scientific and technological progress, particularly in medicine and life. These include, for instance, dilemmas surrounding the beginning and end of human life, such as genetic engineering, artificial fertilisation, in vitro fertilisation, organ donation, and surrogate motherhood. Ethical concerns also extend to the periods before and after life, such as prenatal genetic screening and gene editing, as well as the grief and mourning processes following death, especially in cases involving assisted dying.