Buddhist%20Attitude%20toward%20Research%20Ethics

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Buddhist Attitude toward Research Ethics

• Soraj Hongladarom
• Department of Philosophy
• Chulalongkorn University

Presented at the International Workshop on
Dialogue and Promotion of Bioethics in Asia,
Manila Diamond Hotel, The Philippines, 14-16
October, 2002
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Outline of Talk

• What is research ethics?
• An example
• The essence of Buddhist teaching
• What does Buddhism have to say about research
  ethics?
• Do guidelines on research ethics have to vary due
  to different religions?

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What is research ethics?

• Consideration of research ethics grew out of the
  atrocities committed by scientists in World War
  Two.
• The search for knowledge has to take into
  consideration dignity of human beings and their
  rights.
• There is the set of norms and the justification
  of the norms.

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An Episode from Star Trek

• A ranking crew member on the starship Voyager has
  contracted a deadly form of alien virus.
• The onboard holographic doctor cannot find a cure
  for the virus from his vast store of database.
• However, he knows another holographic doctor who
  has the way to cure this virus on his database.

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Star Trek

• The problem is that the second doctors database
  is obtained by injecting this virus to millions
  of a species of alien beings in a planet, causing
  a huge number of deaths and untold miseries.
  Every ethical consideration had been violated to
  obtain this piece of information in the database.

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Question

• The question is Should the first doctor obtain
  the information from the second doctor to help
  cure the crew member?
• This crew member is a very strict upholder of
  principle She would rather die than being cured
  by using the knowledge.
• How this helps us see the complexity of the issue
  in research ethics.

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The essence of Buddhist teaching

• Once the venerable Assaji, who was a disciple of
  Lord Buddha, was asked by the young Sariputra,
  who at that time was a follower of another
  master, to give the essence of Lord Buddhas
  teaching in a most succinct manner.

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Buddhist teaching

• Assaji answered The Lord taught that all dharmas
  have a cause, and when the cause of a thing
  ceases, so does the thing.
• The emphasis on natural connection of things and
  causation.

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Buddhism and research ethics

• The ultimate goal of a Buddhist is to become
  liberated and free from suffering.
• Suffering also refers to the metaphysical
  notion of things that are liable to change as
  well as the subjective feeling (such as
  frustration) one has when things do not go the
  way one wants.

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Buddhism and research ethics

• Buddhism can ground norms in research ethics by
  showing that following the norms (such as respect
  others as worthy of dignity) is rightful because
  doing so means that one is not attached to ones
  egocentric desires.
• Principles in research ethics can be understood
  by this emphasis on non-attachment and letting go
  of the ego.

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Buddhism and research ethics

• The key to understanding the attitude of Buddhism
  toward problems in research ethics is that
  Buddhism pays more attention to the motifs behind
  the act rather than the act itself.
• But this does not include the case of the
  perverse scientist who sincerely desires to help
  cure the virus even though he has to kill
  millions.

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Buddhism and Star Trek

• The Buddhist would say that it is rightful for
  the first doctor to use the knowledge obtained by
  the second to cure the crew member.
• This is because by helping others one instills a
  kind and refined frame of mind which is conducive
  for liberation in the future.

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Buddhism and Star Trek

• The fact that the knowledge was obtained by
  really vicious methods does not trump over the
  decision to use the knowledge to help others
  because the act had already been committed. If
  the knowledge were not used, these people would
  have died in vain.
• This does not mean that it is permissible to kill
  wantonly for the sake of research.

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Ethical Guidelines and Their Justification

• This is a very difficult topic.
• Philosophers are typically concerned with
  justification.
• The problem is how to justify the set of norms
  that is now commonly accepted.
• For Thailand, it is better to justify the set in
  Buddhist terms.