Education and Education and EthicsEthics

A Response to Prof. Diego A Response to Prof. Diego GarciaGarcia

Soraj Hongladarom, Department of Philosophy, Faculty of Arts,

Chulalongkorn University, Thailand

Presented at the Fourth Session of the World Commission on the

Ethics of Scientific Knowledge and Technology - COMEST

23-25 March 2005

Imperial Queen’s Park Hotel, Bangkok, Thailand

Deliberative EthicsDeliberative Ethics

The need to avoid ‘indoctrination’ and The need to avoid ‘indoctrination’ and ‘value-free attitude’ in teaching ethics ‘value-free attitude’ in teaching ethics and making ethical judgments.and making ethical judgments.

One should avoid both pitfalls: One should avoid both pitfalls: neither imposing one set of values neither imposing one set of values without due consideration and without due consideration and thorough investigation, nor avoiding thorough investigation, nor avoiding this difficult task and taking all values this difficult task and taking all values to be the same.to be the same.

What is Actually What is Actually HappeningHappening

Many in the policy making circles, Many in the policy making circles, however, still subscribe to the idea—however, still subscribe to the idea—which stemmed from the belief that which stemmed from the belief that the questions of fact and of value the questions of fact and of value should be strictly separated.should be strictly separated.

This resulted in the latter being This resulted in the latter being pushed to the domain of ‘affection’ pushed to the domain of ‘affection’ or ‘subjective preferences’.or ‘subjective preferences’.

ProposalsProposals The UNESCO and other concerned agencies The UNESCO and other concerned agencies

should help promote programs of studies in should help promote programs of studies in EST in higher educational institutions, EST in higher educational institutions, especially in developing countries.especially in developing countries.

Those attending these programs will be Those attending these programs will be equipped with ethical sensitivities and equipped with ethical sensitivities and critical thinking skills and will be able to critical thinking skills and will be able to make informed decisions on ethical issues.make informed decisions on ethical issues.

Furthermore, they will become catalysts for Furthermore, they will become catalysts for further discussion and deliberation in a further discussion and deliberation in a wider society.wider society.

The ASEAN-EU LEMLIFE The ASEAN-EU LEMLIFE ProjectProject

Funded by the European Funded by the European Commission through the ASEAN-EU Commission through the ASEAN-EU University Network Programme University Network Programme (AUNP)(AUNP)

LEMLIFE stands for “LEMLIFE stands for “LLegal, egal, EEthical, thical, and and MManagement Aspects of the anagement Aspects of the LifeLife Sciences and Biotechnology”Sciences and Biotechnology”

LEMLIFELEMLIFE

Website: Website: www.asean-eu-lemlife.orgwww.asean-eu-lemlife.org Aims:Aims:

Develop a curriculum leading to an MA Develop a curriculum leading to an MA degree program in bioethicsdegree program in bioethics

Promote awareness of bioethics, biolaw Promote awareness of bioethics, biolaw and biomanagement, especially in and biomanagement, especially in South-east Asia.South-east Asia.

CompositionComposition Four universities from ASEAN; four Four universities from ASEAN; four

from the EU.from the EU.

ChallengesChallenges Interdisciplinary nature of bioethics and Interdisciplinary nature of bioethics and

ethics of science and technology.ethics of science and technology. How to attract students to attend such a How to attract students to attend such a

program?program? Tentative answer --> Form a consortium of Tentative answer --> Form a consortium of

universities in the region and promote student universities in the region and promote student mobility. E.g.,the student may start at mobility. E.g.,the student may start at University A, then move to University B after University A, then move to University B after one semester, then she can choose to stay on at one semester, then she can choose to stay on at B, go to C, or come back to A. The degree could B, go to C, or come back to A. The degree could be awarded by the student’s ‘home’ university.be awarded by the student’s ‘home’ university.

This will widen the pool of talented students.This will widen the pool of talented students.