Protecting Children and Decisionally-Impaired Adults
in Biomedical and Behavioral Research: Is Bioethics Enough?

Summer Ethics Institute
National Catholic School of Social Service
The Catholic University of America
Washington, DC
June 6, 2003

ABSTRACT

Animal Farm Philosophy: Reality of Bioethical Discourse?

Gregor Wolbring, Ph.D.

       The field of bioethics is supposed to develop ethical guidelines for the governance of science and technology and the establishment of legal frameworks. It is assumed that academic discourse and academic development of ethical frameworks are free from political intervention and prejudiced judgment; that pure academic discourse can lead to an absolute ethics through which science and technology are governed for the good of everybody. But is this really the case? Using the situation of disabled people as an example, this paper demonstrates how the bioethics debate follows more an Animal Farm philosophy (wherein some are more equal than others) to serve the interests of certain groups over others in society. It presents a variety of examples where bioethical theories developed to govern science and technology have increased discrimination against disabled people, and it investigates whether existing and proposed laws are able to combat discriminations against disabled people or whether they also follow an Animal Farm philosophy.

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