Philosophical anthropology as key to bioethics

Abstract

From its origins, bioethics has been called upon to play a guiding role in the dialogue between the positive sciences and the human sciences. Doing so requires a reference system that allows bioethics to communicate with biotechnology in a way that enables both these disciplines to be mutually supportive and empowering, as opposed to suffocating each other. The suggestion in this article is that a realist-based philosophical anthropology founded on virtue should be adopted as that reference system. Thus, bioethics can aid and advance the permanent mission of every human being, which is to improve as a person who is capable of ethical conduct and, consequently, is able to interact properly with others and with the environment.