primary ethical challenges that biomedical researchers encounter in the face

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Discuss some of the primary ethical challenges that biomedical researchers encounter in the face of emerging technology?

How can the ethical principles and protocols of the Belmont Report address modern ethical concerns and issues in highly technical modern clinical environments?

Sample solution

Dante Alighieri played a critical role in the literature world through his poem Divine Comedy that was written in the 14th century. The poem contains Inferno, Purgatorio, and Paradiso. The Inferno is a description of the nine circles of torment that are found on the earth. It depicts the realms of the people that have gone against the spiritual values and who, instead, have chosen bestial appetite, violence, or fraud and malice. The nine circles of hell are limbo, lust, gluttony, greed and wrath. Others are heresy, violence, fraud, and treachery. The purpose of this paper is to examine the Dante’s Inferno in the perspective of its portrayal of God’s image and the justification of hell. 

In this epic poem, God is portrayed as a super being guilty of multiple weaknesses including being egotistic, unjust, and hypocritical. Dante, in this poem, depicts God as being more human than divine by challenging God’s omnipotence. Additionally, the manner in which Dante describes Hell is in full contradiction to the morals of God as written in the Bible. When god arranges Hell to flatter Himself, He commits egotism, a sin that is common among human beings (Cheney, 2016). The weakness is depicted in Limbo and on the Gate of Hell where, for instance, God sends those who do not worship Him to Hell. This implies that failure to worship Him is a sin.

God is also depicted as lacking justice in His actions thus removing the godly image. The injustice is portrayed by the manner in which the sodomites and opportunists are treated. The opportunists are subjected to banner chasing in their lives after death followed by being stung by insects and maggots. They are known to having done neither good nor bad during their lifetimes and, therefore, justice could have demanded that they be granted a neutral punishment having lived a neutral life. The sodomites are also punished unfairly by God when Brunetto Lattini is condemned to hell despite being a good leader (Babor, T. F., McGovern, T., & Robaina, K. (2017). While he commited sodomy, God chooses to ignore all the other good deeds that Brunetto did.

Finally, God is also portrayed as being hypocritical in His actions, a sin that further diminishes His godliness and makes Him more human. A case in point is when God condemns the sin of egotism and goes ahead to commit it repeatedly. Proverbs 29:23 states that “arrogance will bring your downfall, but if you are humble, you will be respected.” When Slattery condemns Dante’s human state as being weak, doubtful, and limited, he is proving God’s hypocrisy because He is also human (Verdicchio, 2015). The actions of God in Hell as portrayed by Dante are inconsistent with the Biblical literature. Both Dante and God are prone to making mistakes, something common among human beings thus making God more human.

To wrap it up, Dante portrays God is more human since He commits the same sins that humans commit: egotism, hypocrisy, and injustice. Hell is justified as being a destination for victims of the mistakes committed by God. The Hell is presented as being a totally different place as compared to what is written about it in the Bible. As a result, reading through the text gives an image of God who is prone to the very mistakes common to humans thus ripping Him off His lofty status of divine and, instead, making Him a mere human. Whether or not Dante did it intentionally is subject to debate but one thing is clear in the poem: the misconstrued notion of God is revealed to future generations.

References

Babor, T. F., McGovern, T., & Robaina, K. (2017). Dante’s inferno: Seven deadly sins in scientific publishing and how to avoid them. Addiction Science: A Guide for the Perplexed, 267.

Cheney, L. D. G. (2016). Illustrations for Dante’s Inferno: A Comparative Study of Sandro Botticelli, Giovanni Stradano, and Federico Zuccaro. Cultural and Religious Studies, 4(8), 487.

Verdicchio, M. (2015). Irony and Desire in Dante’s” Inferno” 27. Italica, 285-297.

Biomedical researchers face a host of ethical challenges as emerging technologies rapidly evolve. Here are some primary concerns:

Primary Ethical Challenges:

  • Data Privacy and Security:
    • With the rise of big data, AI, and wearable devices, vast amounts of personal health information are collected. Researchers must ensure robust data security and protect patient privacy, especially when data is shared or used for AI training.
    • Concerns arise about potential breaches, unauthorized access, and the long-term storage and use of sensitive data.

Biomedical researchers face a host of ethical challenges as emerging technologies rapidly evolve. Here are some primary concerns:

Primary Ethical Challenges:

  • Data Privacy and Security:
    • With the rise of big data, AI, and wearable devices, vast amounts of personal health information are collected. Researchers must ensure robust data security and protect patient privacy, especially when data is shared or used for AI training.
    • Concerns arise about potential breaches, unauthorized access, and the long-term storage and use of sensitive data.
  • Informed Consent in Complex Technologies:
    • Emerging technologies, like gene editing or AI-driven diagnostics, can be highly complex. Ensuring patients fully understand the risks and benefits before giving informed consent is challenging.
    • The concept of “informed” consent becomes blurred when technology evolves faster than public understanding.
  • Equitable Access and Distribution:
    • New technologies often come with high costs, raising concerns about equitable access. This can exacerbate existing health disparities.
    • Researchers must consider how to ensure that the benefits of technological advancements reach underserved populations.
  • Dual-Use Research:
    • Some biomedical research, particularly in areas like synthetic biology, has the potential for both beneficial and harmful applications.
    • Researchers must grapple with the ethical implications of their work and consider the potential for misuse.
  • AI and Algorithmic Bias:
    • AI algorithms used in healthcare can perpetuate and amplify existing biases in data, leading to discriminatory outcomes.
    • Researchers must be vigilant in identifying and mitigating bias in AI-driven tools.
  • Gene Editing and Human Enhancement:
    • Technologies like CRISPR raise profound ethical questions about altering the human genome.
    • Concerns include the potential for unintended consequences, the slippery slope towards human enhancement, and the ethical implications of germline editing.
  • Autonomy and Control:
    • As technology becomes more integrated into healthcare, there are concerns about the loss of patient autonomy. For instance, AI algorithms making healthcare decisions.
    • Maintaining the human element in healthcare is vital.

The Belmont Report and Modern Ethical Concerns:

The Belmont Report’s ethical principles (Respect for Persons, Beneficence, and Justice) provide a solid framework for addressing modern ethical challenges:

  • Respect for Persons:
    • This principle emphasizes autonomy and informed consent. In modern clinical environments, this translates to ensuring patients fully understand the implications of complex technologies.
    • Researchers must develop clear communication strategies and utilize tools that aid in patient comprehension.
    • This applies strongly to AI, by maintaining human oversight, and the option for patients to have the final say in medical decisions.
  • Beneficence:
    • This principle requires researchers to maximize benefits and minimize harms. In the context of emerging technologies, this involves rigorous testing and evaluation to ensure safety and efficacy.
    • Risk-benefit assessments must consider potential long-term effects and unintended consequences.
    • In highly technical environments with AI, this means strong validation, and tests to reduce algorithmic bias.
  • Justice:
    • This principle calls for equitable distribution of research benefits and burdens. In modern healthcare, this means addressing disparities in access to new technologies.
    • Researchers should strive to develop technologies that are affordable and accessible to all.
    • Special care must be taken to include diverse populations in research, to reduce any possible negative impact on specific groups.
  • Application in Clinical Environments:
    • Institutional Review Boards (IRBs) can utilize the Belmont principles to evaluate the ethical implications of research proposals involving emerging technologies.
    • Healthcare organizations can develop ethical guidelines and protocols for the use of AI and other advanced technologies in clinical practice.
    • Ongoing dialogue and education are essential to ensure that healthcare professionals are aware of and adhere to ethical principles.

By upholding the Belmont principles, biomedical researchers can navigate the ethical complexities of emerging technologies and ensure that advancements in healthcare benefit all members of society.

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