Bioethical pluralism and complementarity.
This essay presents complementarity as a novel feature of bioethical pluralism. First introduced by Neils Bohr in conjunction with quantum physics, complementarity in bioethics occurs when different perspectives account for equally important features of a situation but are mutually exclusive. Unlike conventional approaches to bioethical pluralism, which attempt in one fashion or another to isolate and choose between different perspectives, complementarity accepts all perspectives. As a result, complementarity results in a state of holistic, dynamic tension, rather than one that yields singular or final moral judgments.
Department of Cell Biology and Ethics in Science and Medicine Program, University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center, Dallas 75390-9039, USA. frederick.grinnell@utsouthwestern.edu
Frederick
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Grinnell
Jeffrey P
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Bishop
Laurence B
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McCullough
D001675:Bioethics; D018864:Cultural Diversity; D026689:Ethical Analysis; D028781:Ethical Relativism; D028663:Ethical Theory; D005260:Female; D006296:Health Services; D006297:Health Services Accessibility; D006805:Human Experimentation; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D014481:United States