Bioethics: Maybe Not so Ethical

Until I read the Dean Koontz novel "One Door Away From Heaven," (Bantam Books 2001) I didn't know what bioethics were. Koontz being a writer of fiction, I thought it was something he made up.

Being a writer myself, I should have known better. All fiction has some grain of truth to it.

After reading the book (an exceptional read, by the way), I did research on bioethics and bioethicists. I was appalled at what I found.

While issues such as organ donations fall under the heading of bioethics, some of the basic premises of bioethics itself is much more gruesome.

The bottom line of bioethics is the determination of the value of human life based upon the best interests of the "greater good."

The "greater good" in this instance are those human beings who do not require long-term care, treatment, medication or surgery.

In the Koontz book, Preston Maddoc is an example of an extreme bioethicist, a true believer in the utilitarian society. Utilitarianism is the belief that all actions "should be directed toward promoting the greatest happiness of the greatest number of persons."[1] He is a practicing utilitarian bioethicist.

For example, in the world of bioethics, particularly utilitarian bioethics, people such as the elderly, diabetics, the mentally and physically challenged, those suffering from terminal illness and even depression use resources that should go to those who are healthy or those who lead more productive, happier lives. Resources such as money, medical care, and energy are expended upon those people who are considered "less than human" by some extremist bioethicists draining those resources from the healthier people.

According to bioethics philosophy, those people who are "less than human" have no right to live.

Further philosophies of bioethics believe that medication, treatment and life-saving surgery should be withheld so people suffering from such aforementioned maladies are allowed to die, making way for those who are healthier and more productive in the interest of the "greater good."

This mindset applies to babies as well.

Babies born with deformities, mental or physical, should not be fed, left to die so that a healthier baby should live and the resources that would have been used on the deformed baby can now be applied to the healthy one.

The novel "One Door Away From Heaven" is a work of fiction and Preston Maddoc is a fictional character. But Mr. Koontz drew his character from reality. There are those bioethicists out there who think and believe like Preston Maddoc.

This is not to say that everyone who is a practicing bioethicist believes in these philosophies. These are extreme viewpoints and beliefs. Most bioethicists have a mixture of beliefs and philosophies.

But, as everyone knows, there are a lot of extremists in this world and there have been extremists throughout the world's history.

Can anyone say Nazi?

Sources:

[1] Dictionary.com