生命伦理学面临的新挑战

New Challenges for Bioethics

生命伦理学的兴起是在现代生物医学进步和社会发展的背景下,传统与现代道德观念之间发生了冲突,另一方面,现代生物医学技术和生命科学一系列革命性发展也引发前所未有的伦理争论。自1953年DNA双螺旋结构确立,基因技术取得重大突破,到20世纪60年代现代临床医学技术(如体外受精、器官移植、生命维持等)的应用极大地扩展医学能力的同时,也引发了诸多新的道德难题和伦理困惑。时至今日,医学技术越来越多地成为对社会需要的反应,而不仅仅是对疾病的反应,医疗卫生制度的结构、筹资和管理机制越来越影响着医疗活动,这一切都对生命伦理学构成了新的挑战。

The rise of bioethics is partially due to the conflicts between traditional and modern moral concepts with the background of modern biomedical progress and social development.Another reason is the unprecedented ethical debate caused by the revolutionary development of modern biomedical technology together with life science.Since the discovery of DNA double helix in 1953,genetic technology has made prominent breakthrough.In 1960s,the application of modern clinical medical technology has greatly enhanced medical ability,such as vitro fertilization,organ transplantation and life-sustaining technology,but caused a lot of new moral dilemmas and ethical perplexity at the same time.Today,medical technology increasingly responds to social needs rather than diseases only,and the structure,financing as well as management mechanisms of health care systems increasingly influence medical activities,all of which pose new challenges to bioethics.