Abstract

OTERO, Luis Daniel. BioETHICS: THE RELEGATED CONCEPT. INCI [online]. 2009, vol.34, n.1, pp.071-076. ISSN 0378-1844.

Appropriation of the neologism ‘bioethics’ by the medical profession has determined a drift from the purposes originally intended for it by its author, V. R. Potter. By appealing to historical data and by confronting quotes from Potter with some of the common conceptions among medical bioethicists, this essay explores some of the causes of such drift and explores inconsistencies between the two resulting visions. It concludes in vindicating the pertinence of the original proposal to the comprehensive domain of all professions and disciplines, within which medicine is only part.

Keywords : Bioética; Bioética Global; Ética Médica; Van Rensselaer Potter.