scholarly journals 大腦移植對於道德責任歸屬的挑戰: 人格同一性判準的反思

2018 ◽  
Vol 16 (1) ◽  
pp. 11-27
Author(s):  
Wanling CHOU
Keyword(s):  
Organ Transplantation ◽  
Personal Identity ◽  
Medical Technology ◽  
Ethical Issues ◽  
Ethical Challenges ◽  
Moral Accountability ◽  
Traditional Definition ◽  
Digital Commons ◽  
Definition Of ◽  
The Brain

LANGUAGE NOTE | Document text in Chinese; abstract also in English.當今社會， 作為治療方式的器官移植手術(organ transplantation)已經相當普遍。然而，如果大腦作為器官的一種，並且在技術上成為可能，那麼我們如何透過大腦的提供者和接收者的關係去界定人格同一性的問題？我們又如何在傳統的同一性的概念上去解釋道德責任的歸屬呢？本文主要探討大腦移植手術對於人格同一性判準的挑戰與可能的回應。筆者認為，西方傳統以來在探討關於人格同一性的概念時，多從生物層次的個體以及心理層次的自我來思考問題，並沒有跳脫個人的視角。文章試圖從儒家思想對人格同一性問題，探討跳脫西方既有的將人化約的思維脈絡來重新思考人格同一性判準。Organ transplantation is now accepted as a common medical treatment. However, the potential for the transplantation of the brain, like any other organ, to become technically feasible gives rise to a series of ethical issues. This essay focuses on the challenges to the criteria for personal identity created by medical technology. Does transplantation preserve the integrity of personal identity? If not, how can we define moral accountability? The essay attempts to show that the traditional definition of personal identity in the West is both biologically and psychologically reductive, as it fails to deal with the issue of the preservation of personal identity in the case of brain transplants. The author argues for an alternative way (via the Confucian understanding of the person and relationality, for example) of responding to the new ethical challenges associated with brain transplantation.DOWNLOAD HISTORY | This article has been downloaded 301 times in Digital Commons before migrating into this platform.

Neuroethics

2017 ◽  
Keyword(s):  
Brain Function ◽  
Ethical Issues ◽  
Wearable Technologies ◽  
Definition Of Death ◽  
Populations At Risk ◽  
The Future ◽  
Aging Adults ◽  
Definition Of ◽  
The Brain ◽  
New Criteria

We have new answers to how the brain works and tools which can now monitor and manipulate brain function. Rapid advances in neuroscience raise critical questions with which society must grapple. What new balances must be struck between diagnosis and prediction, and invasive and noninvasive interventions? Are new criteria needed for the clinical definition of death in cases where individuals are eligible for organ donation? How will new mobile and wearable technologies affect the future of growing children and aging adults? To what extent is society responsible for protecting populations at risk from environmental neurotoxins? As data from emerging technologies converge and are made available on public databases, what frameworks and policies will maximize benefits while ensuring privacy of health information? And how can people and communities with different values and perspectives be maximally engaged in these important questions? Neuroethics: Anticipating the Future is written by scholars from diverse disciplines—neurology and neuroscience, ethics and law, public health, sociology, and philosophy. With its forward-looking insights and considerations for the future, the book examines the most pressing current ethical issues.

scholarly journals THE INTERSECTION OF ETHICS AND VULNERABLE ELDERS

2019 ◽  
Vol 3 (Supplement_1) ◽  
pp. S238-S238
Author(s):  
Pamela B Teaster ◽  
Georgia Anetzberger
Keyword(s):  
Older Adults ◽  
Social Services ◽  
Ethical Issues ◽  
Elder Abuse ◽  
Cognitive Status ◽  
Ethical Challenges ◽  
Community Based ◽  
Conducting Research ◽  
Definition Of ◽  
Community Based Services

Abstract Researchers, practitioners and policymakers are daily confronted with multiple and competing situations regarding vulnerable older adults and the complex issues that they face in all aspects of their lives. Challenges can arise in the provision of social services, dispensing justice, conducting research, or addressing legal issues. The purpose of this symposium is to discuss dilemmas that vulnerable older adults and concerned others face by elucidating current and future challenges facing this population, particularly in the realms of compromised health (cognitive impairment); effective status (gender); care arrangements (home and community-based services); and abuse, neglect, and exploitation. Teaster and Anetzberger discuss relevant ethical theories and principles as well as a definition of vulnerability. Santos and Nichols-Hadeed report on ethical issues embedded in vulnerable elders’ cognitive status. Bowland and Halaas highlight the intersection of ethics, gender and vulnerable elders. Niles-Yokum and Beaumaster discuss the nexus of ethics and the provision of home and community based services for vulnerable older adults. Heisler considers vulnerabilities of older adults and ethical challenges when addressing elder abuse. Throughout the papers, we weave the ethical principles of autonomy, beneficence, nonmaleficence, and justice.

scholarly journals Electrodes in the brain: Some anthropological and ethical aspects of deep brain stimulation

2006 ◽  
Vol 5 ◽  
pp. 33-38
Author(s):  
Elizabeth Hildt
Keyword(s):  
Deep Brain Stimulation ◽  
Brain Stimulation ◽  
Medical Technology ◽  
Ethical Issues ◽  
Brain Regions ◽  
Character Traits ◽  
Ethical Aspects ◽  
Treatment Refractory ◽  
The Brain ◽  
Deep Brain

In the following text, medical, anthropological and ethical issues of deep brain stimulation, a medical technology in which electrodes implanted in the human brain electrically influence specified brain regions, will be discussed. After a brief account of the deep brain stimulation procedure and its chances and risks, anthropological and ethical aspects of the approach will be discussed. These relate to the reversibility of the procedure and to the patient?s capacity to control the effects it exerts in the brain, to modifications and fluctuations in a person?s character traits and individuality brought about by neurostim ulation, an d to the range of legitim ate, adequate uses of the deep brain stimulation approach. The paper concludes that deep brain stimulation should be confined to therapeutic contexts and to severe, otherwise treatment-refractory disorders in which the aim is to norm alize brain fun ctioning. A part from this, it sh ould not be used to m odify a person?s individ ual character traits and behaviour or to enhance human traits.

scholarly journals The Debate on the Ethics of AI in Health Care: a Reconstruction and Critical Review

2019 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jessica Morley
Keyword(s):  
Ethical Issues ◽  
Personalised Medicine ◽  
Healthcare Services ◽  
Legal Framework ◽  
Ethical Challenges ◽  
Levels Of Abstraction ◽  
Systematic Analysis ◽  
Healthcare Settings ◽  
Healthcare Needs ◽  
Definition Of

Healthcare systems across the globe are struggling with increasing costs and worsening outcomes. This presents those responsible for overseeing healthcare with a challenge. Increasingly, policymakers, politicians, clinical entrepreneurs and computer and data scientists argue that a key part of the solution will be ‘Artificial Intelligence’ (AI) – particularly Machine Learning (ML). This argument stems not from the belief that all healthcare needs will soon be taken care of by “robot doctors.” Instead, it is an argument that rests on the classic counterfactual definition of AI as an umbrella term for a range of techniques that can be used to make machines complete tasks in a way that would be considered intelligent were they to be completed by a human. Automation of this nature could offer great opportunities for the improvement of healthcare services and ultimately patients’ health by significantly improving human clinical capabilities in diagnosis, drug discovery, epidemiology, personalised medicine, and operational efficiency. However, if these AI solutions are to be embedded in clinical practice, then at least three issues need to be considered: the technical possibilities and limitations; the ethical, regulatory and legal framework; and the governance framework. In this article, we report on the results of a systematic analysis designed to provide a clear overview of the second of these elements: the ethical, regulatory and legal framework. We find that ethical issues arise at six levels of abstraction (individual, interpersonal, group, institutional, sectoral, and societal) and can be categorised as epistemic, normative, or overarching. We conclude by stressing how important it is that the ethical challenges raised by implementing AI in healthcare settings are tackled proactively rather than reactively and map the key considerations for policymakers to each of the ethical concerns highlighted.

scholarly journals 合成生命的倫理觀: 有所為，有所不為

2011 ◽  
Vol 9 (2) ◽  
pp. 43-59
Author(s):  
Xinqing ZHANG
Keyword(s):  
Synthetic Biology ◽  
Definition Of Life ◽  
Chinese Science ◽  
Traditional Definition ◽  
Digital Commons ◽  
Science Community ◽  
Modern Biotechnology ◽  
Living Organisms ◽  
Definition Of ◽  
Relevant Factors

LANGUAGE NOTE | Document text in Chinese; abstract also in English.合成生命挑戰了傳統的生命觀念。人類社會要慎重對待合成生物學研究和應用，但不應對合成生命下道德禁令。鑒於合成生命存在較大的風險，既要強調科學家的自律，有所不為，又要加強外部監管。鑒於合成生命存在巨大的潛在利益，公正合理地“有所為”也是必要的。為有效處理與解決合成生命所遇到的倫理—政策問題，中國應儘快醞釀建立一種科學—倫理審查制度和機制。Modern biotechnology that creates living organisms challenge the traditional definition of life. This paper argues that although we should be very cautious when using synthetic biology, it would be ethically wrong and practically unwise to resist the new biotechnology all together. Daoism is used to discuss the dilemma between being natural (ziran) and being artificial (renwei). Moreover, Daoism calls for the Chinese science community to develop an ethical-regulatory framework to deal with both the potential of biotechnological research and its risks. The paper urges that if we decide to proceed with biotechnology, relevant factors concerning bio-safety and bio-security must be addressed immediately in China.DOWNLOAD HISTORY | This article has been downloaded 350 times in Digital Commons before migrating into this platform.

Application of Scanning Electron Microscopy to Medical Research

1969 ◽  
Vol 27 ◽  
pp. 12-13
Author(s):  
J. D. Hutchison
Keyword(s):  
Electron Microscopy ◽  
Electron Microscope ◽  
Medical Research ◽  
Prosthetic Heart Valve ◽  
School Of Medicine ◽  
Transmission Electron ◽  
Definition Of ◽  
Mechanism Of Failure ◽  
The Brain ◽  
Scanning Electron

When the transmission electron microscope was commercially introduced a few years ago, it was heralded as one of the most significant aids to medical research of the century. It continues to occupy that niche; however, the scanning electron microscope is gaining rapidly in relative importance as it fills the gap between conventional optical microscopy and transmission electron microscopy.IBM Boulder is conducting three major programs in cooperation with the Colorado School of Medicine. These are the study of the mechanism of failure of the prosthetic heart valve, the study of the ultrastructure of lung tissue, and the definition of the function of the cilia of the ventricular ependyma of the brain.

Confronting the grey zone after severe brain injury

2019 ◽  
Vol 3 (6) ◽  
pp. 707-711 ◽  
Author(s):  
Andrew Peterson ◽  
Adrian M. Owen
Keyword(s):  
Brain Injury ◽  
Ethical Issues ◽  
Vegetative State ◽  
Clinical Care ◽  
Grey Zone ◽  
Severe Brain Injury ◽  
New Methods ◽  
Legal Decision Making ◽  
Technological Developments ◽  
The Brain

In recent years, rapid technological developments in the field of neuroimaging have provided several new methods for revealing thoughts, actions and intentions based solely on the pattern of activity that is observed in the brain. In specialized centres, these methods are now being employed routinely to assess residual cognition, detect consciousness and even communicate with some behaviorally non-responsive patients who clinically appear to be comatose or in a vegetative state. In this article, we consider some of the ethical issues raised by these developments and the profound implications they have for clinical care, diagnosis, prognosis and medical-legal decision-making after severe brain injury.

Comparison of Fluorine(18)-fluorodeoxyglucose and Gallium(68)-citrate PET/CT in patients with tuberculosis

2019 ◽  
Vol 58 (05) ◽  
pp. 371-378
Author(s):  
Alfred O. Ankrah ◽  
Ismaheel O. Lawal ◽  
Tebatso M.G. Boshomane ◽  
Hans C. Klein ◽  
Thomas Ebenhan ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Tracer Uptake ◽  
Pet Ct ◽  
The Mean ◽  
18F Fdg ◽  
Definition Of ◽  
Gallium 68 ◽  
Attending Physician ◽  
Pet Scans ◽  
The Brain

Abstract 18F-FDG and 68Ga-citrate PET/CT have both been shown to be useful in the management of tuberculosis (TB). We compared the abnormal PET findings of 18F-FDG- and 68Ga-citrate-PET/CT in patients with TB. Methods Patients with TB on anti-TB therapy were included. Patients had a set of PET scans consisting of both 18F-FDG and 68Ga-citrate. Abnormal lesions were identified, and the two sets of scans were compared. The scan findings were correlated to the clinical data as provided by the attending physician. Results 46 PET/CT scans were performed in 18 patients, 11 (61 %) were female, and the mean age was 35.7 ± 13.5 years. Five patients also had both studies for follow-up reasons during the use of anti-TB therapy. Thirteen patients were co-infected with HIV. 18F-FDG detected more lesions than 68Ga-citrate (261 vs. 166, p < 0.0001). 68Ga-citrate showed a better definition of intracerebral lesions due to the absence of tracer uptake in the brain. The mean SUVmax was higher for 18F-FDG compared to 68Ga-citrate (5.73 vs. 3.01, p < 0.0001). We found a significant correlation between the SUVmax of lesions that were determined by both tracers (r = 0.4968, p < 0.0001). Conclusion Preliminary data shows 18F-FDG-PET detects more abnormal lesions in TB compared to 68Ga-citrate. However, 68Ga-citrate has better lesion definition in the brain and is therefore especially useful when intracranial TB is suspected.

The Distinction between [P] and [S]

2017 ◽  
Author(s):  
Galen Strawson
Keyword(s):  
Personal Identity ◽  
Radical Change ◽  
Legal Responsibility ◽  
The Difference ◽  
Definition Of ◽  
Over Time

This chapter examines the difference between John Locke's definition of a person [P], considered as a kind of thing, and his definition of a subject of experience of a certain sophisticated sort [S]. It first discusses the equation [P] = [S], where [S] is assumed to be a continuing thing that is able to survive radical change of substantial realization, as well as Locke's position about consciousness in relation to [P]'s identity or existence over time as [S]. It argues that Locke is not guilty of circularity because he is not proposing consciousness as the determinant of [S]'s identity over time, but only of [S]'s moral and legal responsibility over time. Finally, it suggests that the terms “Person” and “Personal identity” pull apart, in Locke's scheme of things, but in a perfectly coherent way.

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