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KMID : 1172020150160010021
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Journal of Korean Bioethics Association
2015 Volume.16 No. 1 p.21 ~ p.37
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A Perspective on the Revision History of Principles of Biomedical Ethics
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Mok Kwang-Su
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Abstract
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The purpose of this paper is to suggest a perspective on the revision history of Principles of Biomedical Ethics (hereafter PBE) written by Tom Beauchamp and James Childress (hereafter BC). I argue that BC have revised their work to systemize PBE from practical to theoretical factors. In the 1st~3rd editions, PBE focused on practicalities such as principles expected to resolve pressing biomedical issues. For this reason, at that time BC only sketched rough theoretical explanations, such as an account of justification, in PBE. As PBE editions evolved, many scholars criticized the work as being theoretically weak, and many readers requested that BC should strengthen the theoretical explanations in PBE and discuss methodology and justification accounts in greater depth. In the 4th edition of PBE, BC introduced their theories of wide reflective equilibrium, specification and balancing (and weighing), and common morality to respond these critics and readers’ requests. Thereafter (in the 5th~7th editions) BC have strived to justify their PBE epistemologically. They attempt this using their accounts of wide reflective equilibrium and common morality to propose an action-guiding method with specification and balancing (and weighing) and to systemize PBE feasibly and theoretically. In the 6th edition, BC included a new chapter discussing moral status in PBE, which relates to ontology. This analysis supports my claim that BC have revised PBE to systemize PBE’s practical factors to theoretical factors. Despite these introductions and complexifications, PBE is still theoretically insufficient and it will need further revision for theoretical systemization focusing on epistemological and ontological factors.
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KEYWORD
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Principles of Biomedical Ethics, wide reflective equilibrium, specification and balancing (and weighing), common morality, moral status
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