Postscriptum for Jahr – About the Father of Bioethics and the Bioethical Imperative

Abstract

Listen

Translate article

Fritz Jahr (1895-1953) is widely recognized as the Father of Bioethics. In 1926, he introduced the term “bio-ethics” in an article published in Das Mittelschulwesen. Influenced by Wilhelm Wundt's comparative studies on physiology and psychology in humans, animals, and plants, as well as the philosophical musings on the possible soul-life of plants by Fr. Th. Fechner and others in the late 19th century, Jahr sought to redefine ethical considerations. He expanded Kant’s Categorical Imperative into what he called the Bioethical Imperative: “Respect every living being in principle as an end in itself and treat it, if possible, as such.” While Kant’s imperative was grounded in the "Sanctity of the Moral Law," Jahr's Bioethical Imperative is based on the "Sanctity of Life," emphasizing compassion for all living beings and coexistence.