IB Philosophy 4.3.1 Biomedical Ethics Key Definitions

Biomedical ethics is the branch of applied ethics that examines moral questions arising from advances in medicine and the biological sciences, including issues of life, death, patient autonomy, and the responsible use of biotechnology.

Biotechnology involves the application of scientific techniques to modify living organisms, biological systems, or their products, including genetic engineering, cloning, and stem cell research.

Immanuel Kant's categorical imperative is the supreme principle of morality, commanding unconditionally. Its first formulation requires acting only on maxims that could be willed as universal laws, and its second formulation requires treating persons always as ends in themselves, never merely as means.

Euthanasia is the deliberate ending of a person's life to relieve suffering. Active euthanasia involves a direct act (such as administering a lethal dose), while passive euthanasia involves withdrawing life-sustaining treatment.

Moral status is the property of being an entity whose interests or wellbeing deserve moral consideration. Debated criteria include sentience, rationality, being the subject of a life, or membership in a biotic community.

Virtue ethics is an approach to morality that focuses on developing good character traits rather than on rules or consequences, originating with Aristotle and identifying eudaimonia (human flourishing) as the goal of moral life.