V.R. Potter’s Global Bioethics

Abstract

Many discussions related to health, life sciences and biotechnology have led some authors to refer to global bioethics. The present review, however, intends to analyze the concept of global bioethics in the work of the same title by Van Rensselaer Potter. Bioethics was born in the United States and there developed a conception that reduced it to a vision of biomedical ethics. In response to this reductionism, the father of bioethics, V. R. Potter, has taken up its original conception and extended it to a global bioethics, a broader view that encompasses the ecological dimension of life of all living beings at the same time as it treats and relates to the issues of biomedical ethics.

Quality of life in Brazilian elderly: an analysis of healthy aging from the perspective of Potter's global bioethics

“…Bioethics was formulated by Potter to integrate biology and human values, especially moral philosophy. Since the publication of Potter in 1971 of the work “Bioethics: bridge to the future”, there has been an attempt to build bridges between knowledge, between practices and between society (Zanella et al, 2019 ). Now it is necessary to build a bridge between the vulnerability of the elderly and aging with dignity.…”

“…Potter proposed new ethics, combining responsibility, interdisciplinarity and interculturality, to enhance the sense of humanity (Zanella, 2018 ). When he launched his book Global Bioethics in 1988, he introduced a new concept, of global bioethics, with two meanings: planetary and more inclusive and comprehensive, with “macro” issues of our society and culture (Zanella et al, 2019 ). Potter defines a sustainable society as economically viable, socially just, culturally accepted and environmentally friendly.…”