Human dignity

Abstract

Although I am always happy to see the discussion of ethics in the field of dentistry, I am disturbed by the level of philosophical charity that is given by Dr. Robert P. Iovino toward philosopher Ruth Macklin’s critique of appeals to human dignity in bioethical discussions in his December JADA commentary titled “Revising the American Dental Association Principles of Ethics and Code of Professional Conduct: Adding ‘Respect for Human Dignity’ as the Sixth Principle of Dental Ethics to Accommodate Advances in Genetic Science” (JADA. 2016;147[12]:918-922). I would like to take a moment to defend Macklin’s concerns. Revising the American Dental Association Principles of Ethics and Code of Professional Conduct: Adding “Respect for Human Dignity” as the sixth principle of dental ethics to accommodate advances in genetic scienceThe Journal of the American Dental AssociationVol. 147Issue 12PreviewThe new era of genetics in dental education, practice, and research has arrived. In the wake of the October 2015 “first of its kind”1 American Dental Association (ADA) conference on genetics in dentistry, there is little doubt that ADA ethical guidelines concerning genetic testing, research, and possible therapy are now required. Our colleagues at the American Medical Association (AMA) have wrestled with the challenging moral issues inherent in genetic-based medicine, and their ethical code reflects it. Full-Text PDF Author’s responseThe Journal of the American Dental AssociationVol. 148Issue 4PreviewI appreciate the spirited defense that Dr. Burla provides in support of Ruth Macklin’s position. I have no quarrel with his argument that the concept of respect for human dignity is complex, exceedingly difficult to precisely define, and, when viewed from 1 perspective, aligns closely with the concept of autonomy. However, dignity is far from being a “useless” concept in the field of medical and dental ethics. Rather, remarkable advances in genetic research and artificial intelligence provide the concept of human dignity with an indispensible role in modulating scientific progress. Full-Text PDF