Biomedical Engineering Reference
In-Depth Information
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Buddhism, Samyutta Nikaya V: “A state which is not pleasant or enjoyable for me will also not
be so for him; and how can I impose on another a state that is not pleasant or enjoyable for me?”
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Islam, Forty Hadith of an-Nawawi, 13: “None of you is a believer as long as he does not wish his
brother what he wishes himself.”
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Confucianism, Sayings 15:23: “What you yourself do not want, do not do to another person.”
Justice is a universal human value crucial to bioethics. It is a concept that is built into every professional
code of practice and behavior, including the codes of ethics of all engineering and other technical and
design disciplines. And, it is at the heart of assuring quality of life, health care, and environmental
protection. It is the linchpin of social responsibility. In ending the Pledge of Allegiance with the phrase
“with liberty and justice for all,” Americans couple the cherished value of freedom with the principle
of fairness, which is also articulated throughout the Constitution of the United States.
Justice must be universalized and applied to everyone. We may be tempted to assume that systems
are fair simply because “most” are satisfied with the current situation. In the words of Reverend Martin
Luther King, “Injustice anywhere is a threat to justice everywhere.”
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By extension, if any group is
disparately denied a healthy life, then the whole nation is subjected to inequity and injustice. Put in a
more positive way, we can work to provide a healthful life by including everyone, leaving no one behind.
Engineers are trained to be technical experts. Yes, we practice in a milieu of law, politics and the
social sciences, but our forte is within the realm of the physical sciences and engineering principles.
However, the contemporary engineering profession is simultaneously demanding that we be better
equipped technically and technologically, as well as in the social and human sciences. This calls for a
systematic approach to engineering education and practice, which is consistent with elements defined
by the National Academy of Engineering to be included in the guiding strategies for the engineer of the
future:
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Applying engineering processes to define and to solve problems using scientific, technical, and
professional knowledge bases
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Engaging engineers and other professionals in team-based problem solving
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Using technical tools
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Interacting with clients and managers to achieve goals
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Setting boundary conditions from economic, political, ethical, and social constraints to define the
range of engineering solutions and to establish interactions with the public
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The combination of technical skill and ethical character that defines an engineer is not sequential. Rather,
it is integral (Figure 8.1). Ethics is built into the process. The “best” engineering solution, therefore, has
to be fair and just.
FAIRNESS
AND
DISTRIBUTIVE
JUSTICE
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Part of the difficulty in defining justice is that justice and injustice are not often distinguished by the
“what” so much as the “how.” For example, currently, bioethical debates center around how much
information about a microbe, a rabbit, or you and me can be patented. Can such property be held and,
if so, can it be transferred? Does the recent controversy over eminent domain provide lessons?
Rights, property, freedom, and other actions and behaviors are routinely given up or actively taken
in the society as part of the social contract. The act of “taking” is morally neutral (i.e., either good
