Bioethics Eastern Perspective Part 2

Eastern Bioethics

• Buddhist bioethics is characterized by a naturalistic outlook. • Natural law in Buddhism is slightly different from Aristotle’s

view in that it includes reincarnation and presupposes less pronounced differences between human and non-human life.

Buddhist ethics attempts to:• Apply ancient Buddhist philosophy to current problems• Apply thought that originated in an Eastern context to

problems that have largely arisen in the West, due to technological developments

• Apply religious beliefs and values to scientific and secular contexts

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Eastern Bioethics

• A Sikh approach to bioethics stems from a deeply religious sense of social responsibility.

• Sikhism emerged in the Punjab, which was populated by both Hindus and Muslims.

• Guru Nanak proposed a new social order that was not based on sectarian differences, but on devotion to God who was pervasive in all people regardless of race, class, caste, or gender. The universe and its inhabitants are all an aspect of God’s truth.

• Thus Sikh ethics derive from devotion to the creation, personal discipline, and political unity. The purpose of life is to realize God within the world, through the daily practices of work, worship, and charity, and sacrificing love.

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Eastern Bioethics

• Hinduism shares with other religious traditions a positive attitude toward medicine and the healing arts, but it is distinctive in that it has its own indigenous system of medicine with written manuals that comment on health issues.

• Hindu bioethics flows from three basic principles of Hindu philosophy:

• Transcendent character of human life expressed through principles of quality and sanctity of life

• The duty to preserve and guard individual and communal health

• The duty to address imbalance in the processes of nature that threaten the well-being of human and nonhuman life.

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Bioethical Issues

• Abortion• Artificial Insemination• Artificial Womb• Assisted Suicide• Blood/blood plasma (Trade)• Cloning• Contraception• Euthanasia (human, animal)• Gene Therapy• Human Cloning • Human Genetic Engineering

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• Infertility (Treatments)• Life support• Life Extension• Organ Donation• Population Control• Procreative Beneficence• Procreative Liberty• Sperm & eggs (Donation)• Stem cell• Suicide• Surrogacy

List of Bioethicists

• Abdulaziz Sachedina• Arthur Caplan• Barnard Nethanson• Damien Keown• James Hughes• James Rachels• John Robertson• Joseph Fletcher• Julian Savulescu• Leon Kass• Peter Singer• Ruth Faden

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Western Bioethics

• Aristotle equates ethical to being good and being good is to become virtuous.

• Aristotle describes virtue as “Virtue of course meaning moral virtue or excellence, for it has to do with passions and actions”.

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Jain Bioethics

• In Jainism virtues are not limited to becoming good but are also helpful in spiritual pursuit leading to liberation – moksha.

• Though Jainism originated in pre historical, pre modern, pre-technological era, implied from these foundations and moral doctrines we can draw inferences relating to advances in medicine, as there are no direct guidelines described in scriptures.

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Jain Bioethics

AHIMSA PERMO DHRAMA• The cardinal virtue of Jainism ahimsa (do no

harm) should be the basic guide line for understanding Jain view relating to bioethics.

• It is the motivation or the thought process behind, rather than the actual act that is deciding factor.

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Jain BioethicsSocial, Personal and Spiritual Ethics or Virtues in

Jainism• All the virtues are based on the principal of

nonviolence.• In Jainism same virtues are described with

different levels for deferent levels of spirituals persuade (major and minor vows).

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• Rather than separating virtues of body, speech and mind all virtues need to be followed with body, speech and mind.

Jain Bioethics

Virtues for House Holders (Minor Vows) • Non-Violence• Non-Stealing• Truthfulness• Limiting Possessions• Limited celibacy (No Adultery)

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Questions to address?

• When does life begin, and when does it end?• When is the quality of life so compromised that

doctors should cease further interventions?• What is informed consent?• What constraints should apply to research on human

subjects?• And, above all, how can the sanctity of life be

preserved?

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• Dr. Cromwell Crawford (Univ. of Hawaii), • Dr. Brian Cummings (Univ. of California),• Dr. James Hughes (Trinity College, CT),• D.K. Bobra, M.D.

Claremont International Jain Conference Keynote Speakers for August 24-25 2012

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• Predrag Cicovack• Brianne Donaldson• Jain, Subhash C• Robert Hesse• Peteet, John Ray• Surendra Pokharn

Claremont International Jain Conference Paper Presenters for August 24-25 2012

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• Inderpal Kochar• Seth Clark• Whitney Braun• Ram Agarwal• Chris Chapple • Shugan Jain

Conference Details

Plenary sessions take place in Mudd Auditorium, Claremont Lincoln University, 1325 N. College Ave., Claremont, CA 91711 (on the campus of Claremont School of Theology).

There is an inexpensive registration fee and a discount for students. Early registration at a reduced rate will close on July 15th.

All meals at the conference will be creative and tasty Jain vegetarian/vegan fare.

Register Here

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Travel and Hotel Information

AIRPORTSOntario International Airport (ONT) is 15 minutes from Claremont. Taxis are available outside the baggage area (approx. $20-25 for a ride to campus) or you can book a shuttle here.Los Angeles International Airport is 50 miles from Claremont. During peak traffic hours (7am-9am; 3pm-6pm), this can be a very lengthy ride. You can book a shuttle here.

HOTELSThe conference hotel is the Claremont DoubleTree, 555 W. Foothill Blvd. in Claremont; (909) 626-2411. You can make reservations (at a reduced rate) at the Jain Conference Group Page. The DoubleTree Hotel is 0.5 miles from campus, or a 10-minute walk.Other accommodations can be found at Hotel Claremont; (909) 621-4831 (3 miles from campus) or Casa 425; (866) 450-0425 (in Claremont Village, 1.3 miles from campus). There are also lodgings in nearby cities.

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August 24th and 25th , 2012

Venue:Claremont Lincoln University

Mudd Auditorium,1325 N. College Avenue,

Claremont CA 91711

Co-Sponsored by:Claremont Lincoln University, the International School for Jain Studies, Jain Center

of Southern California, and the Federation of Jain Associations in North America (JAINA)

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