Abstract
In bioethics Aristotle’s ethics is often reevaluated as representative of so-called ‘virtue ethics’ as alternative position to current modern ethical theories (esp. utilitarianism and deontology). However, most of these approaches are free reconstruction of his theory or idea. This paper considers what we can say from Aristotle’s text in itself. Through this consideration I present the following points; (i) the central notion of Aristotle’s ethics is eudaimonia (flourishing life), rather than virtue (aretê) and then his ethics should be characterized as eudemonics above all, rather than virtue ethics. (ii) His notion of eudaimonia can justify some euthanasia, but does not demonstrate doctor’s obligation to accept patient's request for euthanasia. (iii) Aristotle’s view of moderate unity of ethics gives a hint about the problem unity of bioethics.
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Chatani, N. (2021). Aristotle and Bioethics. In: Matsuda, T., Wolff, J., Yanagawa, T. (eds) Risks and Regulation of New Technologies. Kobe University Monograph Series in Social Science Research. Springer, Singapore. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-981-15-8689-7_7
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-981-15-8689-7_7
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