Promote Responsible Research,let the Scientific Research Serve the People——Address on the Awarding Ceremony of The Avicenna Price for Ethics in Science at UNESCO / 中国医学伦理学

ABSTRACT

It is great honor to be awarded the Avicenna Prize of Ethics in Science by UNESCO.The award is not only a recognition of my own work but also a commendation of the efforts of my colleagues in China who are devoted to the ethics of science and technology and to raising the ethical awareness among scientists,policy makers and the public.I am indebted to international organizations such as UNESCO,and many of my foreign colleagues who have been a constant source of support and inspiration for the past decades.There are two approaches in addressing ethical issues in life science.One is the flying-kite model.The other ethical approach is based on the riding-bicycle model.However,there will never be an omnipotent ethical theory that is capable of resolving all ethical issues in the past,present and future.Our decision should not be reached by direct deduction from any theory or principle alone.It is absolutely necessary to regulate biomedical research and biotechnology to ensure proper development of biomedicine and biotechnology.The institutionalization of bioethics in scientific research aims at building an infrastructure or a framework to protect human subjects.Nevertheless some scientists and policy makers still have misunderstanding about ethics.This shows that attitudes can change and that social progress is possible,but it takes patience and persistent intellectual engagement.The outcome of such a reconciliation approach would be as what Confucius said he er bu tong(Lun Yu,Chapter 13,paragraph 23).It means "harmonized but not identical" or "harmonized as well as diversified" in China′s and world′s bioethics.