Indignity of Nazi data: reflections on the utilization of illicit research.

Human rights may feel self-apparent to us, but less than 80 years ago, one of the most advanced countries at the time acted based on an utterly contrary ideology. The view of social Darwinism that abandoned the idea of the intrinsic value of human lives instead argued that oppression of the inferior is not only inevitable but desirable. One of the many catastrophic outcomes is the medical data obtained from inhuman experiments at concentration camps. Ethical uncertainty over whether the resulting insights should be a part of the medical literature provides a chance to consider the seemingly irreplaceable social construct of human dignity. Would any medical benefit justify the utilization of this illicit data? Would utilization even qualify as an insult to the dignity of the exploited subjects, or is this a question about intersubjective meaning? This work discusses the wisdom in blind adherence to human dignity, the possibility of retrospective insults, moral complicity, contrary viewpoints, and possible resolutions.

Clarifying Human Dignity in Forensic Practice.

The notion of human dignity remains a relatively complex concept that has roots in classical Greek and Roman antiquity and links to religious teachings and Kantian philosophical notions. From the Latin dignitas, human dignity means worth and implies excellence and distinction. Human dignity, also found in 20th century constitutions and international declarations, has been considered in bioethics, general medicine, and psychiatry. The application of dignity to forensic psychiatry practice has received less attention. Through a review of texts in medicine and related fields, such as philosophy and anthropology, we aim to clarify the concept of human dignity and its application in forensic psychiatry practice. We first outline the historical origins of the term. We then consider several varieties of human dignity applied in medical ethics and psychiatry. We review individuals' lived experiences of indignity and dignity's place in forensic practice in different loci. We present recent scholarship related to human dignity and highlight the importance of dignity in forensic practice. Focusing on dignity in evaluator-evaluee and doctor-patient relationships should improve forensic work. Training in dignity-imbued forensic practice should remind us of the human dimensions of those we serve in the forensic arena.

Hermeneutics: An Ethical Journey.

Hermeneutics is an important philosophical mode of inquiry where discipline-specific theories and methodologies provide important windows of understanding human experiences. The author discusses the embedded truths of ethics found in the formal inquiry where human living quality phenomena are highlighted. The valuable insights and the importance to the future of the discipline of nursing focus on ideas for suggested further study.

Reconfiguración del principio de dignidad humana. La visibilidad de nuevos sujetos de derecho en el interior del orden jurídico colombiano / Reconfiguració del principi de dignitat humana. La visibilitat de nous subjectes de dret a l'interior de l'ordre jurídic colombià / Reconfiguration of the principle of human dignity. Visibility of new subjects of law within the Colombian legal order

Este trabajo tiene por objeto identificar de qué manera el sistema normativo colombiano de los últimos años se ha estructurado a partir del concepto Dignidad. Para ello se hará una presentación del término en tres momentos histórico-jurídicos a través de los cuales resulta posible construir una noción del sistema normativo según principios y valores afincados en una cosmovisión propia al alcance del término y la transformación jurídica de su significado en el que se transita de la legalidad a la dignidad humana y posteriormente hacia la dignidad de los sujetos de derecho. Es un trabajo descriptivo, analítico y crítico que servirá para identificar la actualidad del marco interpretativo de la Constitución y el orden jurídico en Colombia a lo largo de los últimos treinta años de vigencia de nuestro sistema constitucional.(AU)

Aquest treball té com a objectiu identificar de quina manera el sistema normatiu colombià dels últims anys s'ha estructurat a partir del concepte Dignitat. Per fer-ho, es farà una presentació del terme en tres moments històrico-jurídics a través dels quals resulta possible construir una noció del sistema normatiu segons principis i valors arrelats en una cosmovisió pròpia al voltant del terme i la transformació jurídica del seu significat en el qual es transita de la legalitat a la dignitat humana i posteriorment cap a la dignitat dels subjectes de dret. És un treball descriptiu, analític i crític que servirà per identificar l'actualitat del marc interpretatiu de la Constitució i l'ordre jurídic a Colòmbia al llarg dels últims trenta anys de vigència del nostre sistema constitucional.(AU)

The purpose of this paper is to identify how the Colombian regulatory system in recent years has been structured based on the dignity concept. For this, a presentation of the term will be made in three historical-legal moments through which it is possible to build a notion of the normative system according to principles and values based on a worldview of its own within the scope of the term and the legal transformation of this meaning in which it movesfrom legality to human dignity and later to the dignity of legal subjects. It is a descriptive, analytical and critical work that will serve to identify the actuality of the interpretative framework of the Constitution and legal order in Colombia throughout the last thirty years of validity of our constitutional system.(AU)

Embryo Selection in the Context of In Vitro Fertilization.

From the Catholic perspective, in vitro fertilization (IVF) is morally problematic because it artificially separates the procreative and unitive aspects of the conjugal act. Embryo selection (ES) in the context of IVF is an injustice against the resulting embryos because it treats them as commodities and works against their right to life by determining their implantation potential in light of their features. The Church opposes the eugenics mentality underlying ES. Meanwhile, the IVF industry increasingly uses artificial intelligence (AI) for ES. However, doing so could worsen the injustice by deepening the disrespect of human lives under the technocratic paradigm. As such, Catholic bioethicists are encouraged to advocate for the Church's teachings with renewed vigor. In this commentary, we will examine (1) ES in the context of IVF, (2) using AI for ES, (3) the moral implications of using AI for ES, and (4) points for further consideration. Summary: Using AI for Embryo selection in the context of IVF deepens the disrespect of human lives under the technocratic paradigm.

From informed to empowered consent.

Informed consent is ethically incomplete and should be redefined as empowered consent. This essay challenges theoretical assumptions of the value of informed consent in light of substantial evidence of its failure in clinical practice and questions the continued emphasis on autonomy as the primary ethical justification for the practice of consent in health care. Human dignity-rather than autonomy-is advanced from a nursing ethics perspective as a preferred justification for consent practices in health care. The adequacy of an ethic of obligation (namely, principlism) as the dominant theoretical lens for recognising and responding to persistent problems in consent practices is also reconsidered. A feminist empowerment framework is adopted as an alternative ethical theory to principlism and is advanced as a more practical and complete lens for examining the concept and context of consent in health care. To accomplish this, the three leading conceptions of informed consent are overviewed, followed by a feminist critique to reveal practical problems with each of them. The need for a language change from informed to empowered consent is strongly considered. Implications for consent activities in clinical practice are reviewed with focused discussion on the need for greater role clarity for all involved in consent-beyond and inclusive of the patient-physician dyad, as the practice and improvement of consent is necessarily a transdisciplinary endeavour. Specific concrete and practical recommendations for leveraging nursing expertise in this space are presented. Perhaps what is most needed in the discourse and practice of consent in health care is nursing.

Biobanking Legislation in Spain: Advancing or Undermining Its Ethical Values?

Biobanks are important resources for improving public health and individual care. Some legal frameworks can be more or less conducive to advancing the potential benefits of biobanks. The purpose of this article is to assess biobanking legislation and practices in Spain to determine how well they fare in such a regard. We focus here on some of the primary ethical values that ground relevant legislation and that we believe are consistent with promoting biobanking benefits: the value of scientific research; efficient use of scarce resources; and respect for the dignity of donors. We argue that although Spanish regulations advance these values in important ways, they also have provisions that undermine them and thus risk limiting the potential benefits of biobanks. We offer some suggestions for improvement.

Is it true that all human beings have dignity?

The discussion around dignity in nursing philosophy has been underway for many years. The literature still lacks philosophical arguments that would justify the thesis that all people have dignity. Scholars who defend dignity as an intrinsic value most often refer to Kant. However, Kant does not seem to be the most suitable candidate to defend the thesis that all human beings possess dignity. In this paper, I attempt to show that Aristotle's and Aquinas's views can help justify this thesis. To this end, I distinguish between actual dignity, potential dignity, and existential dignity. I state that all human beings have existential dignity or potential dignity.

Influences of the Arts and Nurse Ethics.

Art has limitless definitions, meanings, and modes for presentation. It is a pivotal cocreation designed to provoke and stir up artists' personal beliefs, values, and thinking. Art is uniquely received by those persons experiencing it in the moment. The author in this article illuminates the significance of the arts with the enduring ethical truths found in nursing paradigms and theoretical frameworks. The humanbecoming ethos is used to illustrate the importance of the arts in human living and its future implications for the advancement of the discipline of nursing.

Psychosocial burden in transfusion dependent beta-thalassemia patients and its impact on the quality of life and the problem of dignity.

Beta-thalassemia major is a genetic blood disorder that impacts hemoglobin production with several symptoms that decrease quality of life in patients. Blood transfusions may help them to regulate their hemoglobin needs, though this is a lifelong intervention. Struggling with dependent blood transfusion status impacts patients greatly including their bio, psycho, social, and spiritual health, potentially raising a bioethical issue related to human dignity.

Do differences exist in cross-cultural caregivers' respect for the autonomy/dignity of people with dementia? Real-time field observations in nursing homes.

BACKGROUND: Although published studies have examined the perceptions of caregivers who are attending to older adults with dementia concerning the values of human dignity and/or autonomy in institutional settings, none have explored the possible differences in actual behavior that relates to these values for caregivers from diverse ethno-cultural backgrounds. AIMS: Explore how caregivers with varied cultural backgrounds may differ in their real-time behavior regarding the autonomy and dignity of older adults with dementia and thereby determine whether that real-time behavior reveals new aspects of respect and disrespect for both the autonomy and dignity of those older adults. RESEARCH DESIGN AND METHODS: A qualitative research based on non-participatory observations, was meticulously recorded using a written journal and a rigorous microanalysis to analyze the collected data. We made 58 shift-based observations (morning and evening) of 29 caregivers from 3 ethno-cultural groups working in 3 nursing homes in Israel. These groups included Israeli-born Jews (Sabras), Israeli Arab-Muslims (Arabs), and immigrants from the Former Soviet Union (IFSU). RESULTS: (1) IFSU caregivers demonstrated more respect for autonomy and dignity, but also demonstrated disrespect for these values. (2) the main difference between the IFSU caregivers and other caregiver groups pertained to respect for their autonomy. The main specific facets of autonomy where IFSU caregivers surpassed their colleagues were information provision and persuasion. (3) toward both autonomy and dignity of these older adults, previously unaccounted for in the models we used, were discovered among the varied groups of caregivers, with only minor gaps between these groups. DISCUSSION AND IMPLICATIONS: This study-the first of its kind to focus on the real-time behaviors of caregivers from diverse ethno-cultural backgrounds-reveals the potential effects of culture on applying practices related to dignity and autonomy during daily care. The findings may have important implications for caregiver training in multicultural societies.

Work with embryonic stem cells - legal considerations.

Apparently, there is a broad scope of legal issues affecting the work with embryonic stem cells. I cannot address them all. I would like to focus on two fields of law and discuss, rather in the overview, some salient issues of German constitutional and administrative law framing the scientific research process. Compared to the sophisticated scientific work we discuss here, legal arguments and operations remain blunt and awkward, addressing rather the identity of a society than the fluid frontiers of science and technology.

Persevering: An Ethic of Choice.

Perseverance is a living phenomenon that is uniquely important with individuals, groups, and community. Persevering is persistently choosing one direction from another in spite of the urgings of others and the unknown consequences. The action of persevering reflects prized and cherished values reflective of the person's unique identity. It is an ethic of choice to be honored. This article begins an ethical straight-thinking discussion of the ethos of honoring human dignity while bearing witness with others who are persevering with life-altering turbulence with the passing of a life. A humanbecoming ethos of enduring truths will be applied to a family story.

Carried Along.

As a physician, the hardest days in medicine are when I endure great distance from the Lord in my bedside interactions with patients and families. They make me feel like driftwood without vocational direction. Given the enormity of what critically ill patients are experiencing, emotional detachment from Jesus and those I am serving creates swells of grief for me as a Catholic physician. In the intensive care unit, I tend to gravitate to big and bold occurrences. Unfortunately, one tendency I have is to think that small events yield small outcomes, while big events yield big outcomes. Such is not the case with God, whom I tend to force into finite scales when, in truth, the Creator of the universe has no limits. This essay highlights an experience in which God brought a deeper understanding of His grace from a seemingly monotonous patient encounter. I am reminded that because of God's presence in my relationship with each person, "Nothing shall be impossible." (Lk 1:37).

The Morality of Kidney Sales: When Caring for the Seller's Dignity Has Moral Costs.

Kidney markets are prohibited in principle because they are assumed to undermine the seller's dignity. Considering the trade-off between saving more lives by introducing regulated kidney markets and preserving the seller's dignity, we argue that it is advisable to demand that citizens restrain their own moral judgements and not interfere with the judgements of those who are willing to sell a kidney. We also argue that it is advisable not only to limit the political implications of the moral argument of dignity concerns toward a market-based solution but also to re-evaluate the dignity argument itself. First, if the dignity argument is to be given normative force, it must also consider the dignity violation of the potential transplant recipient. Second, there seems to be no compelling notion of dignity that demonstrates why it is morally permissible to donate but not to sell a kidney.

Transcendent pluralism: A middle-range theory of nonviolent social transformation through human and ecological dignity: Analysis and evaluation.

BACKGROUND: Issues such as group bias, poverty, disempowerment, and violence contribute to poor health outcomes among at-risk populations. In all countries, there exist disparities among health status with worse health outcomes in individuals categorized as having less access to resources. Systemic forces perpetuate health inequities among at-risk populations furthering the divide between those in resource-rich environments and those afflicted by a lack of resources. The social devaluing of individuals and their environment contributes to this ongoing global suffering. METHOD: In this article, I critically appraised the theory of transcendent pluralism: a middle-range theory of nonviolent social transformation through human and ecological dignity based on the criteria outlined by Fawcett. CONCLUSION: The concepts identified in this theory offer nursing the tools to facilitate social change. Despite the theory lacking significant real-world nursing practice application, it has the potential to bridge nursing's ability to influence social change through research and practice.

Finding the common ground: toward an inclusive approach to humanitarian crisis.

A recently published correspondence proposed a solution for survival in the context of Indonesia using a spiritual-philosophical perspective to fight the pandemic crisis. However, such principle can be too exclusive and restrictive in its application to the pandemic crisis. One must also consider the alternative approaches in solving the crisis from a multidisciplinary and multisectoral approach. This paper proposes the principle of 'human dignity' as an inclusive approach to humanitarian crisis.

Between Rocks and Hard Places: Good Governance in Ethically Divided Communities.

This article, prompted by Heidi Crowter's campaign to eliminate the discriminatory aspects of current abortion law, outlines the challenges to good governance in a context of bioethical plurality. First, the nature of the plurality is sketched. Secondly, some reflections are presented on how those who have governance responsibilities might ease the tensions engendered by the plurality; and, at the same time, how the discontented governed might reasonably press their views. Thirdly, a model of good governance (demanding integrity by those who govern and respect for the global commons) is introduced. The conclusion is that good faith governance merits our respect, but it does not guarantee particular outcomes or positions that will meet with the approval of all bioethical constituencies or individuals. Accordingly, we have to learn not only to live with rocks and hard places but also to find civilized ways of debating our differences.

Addressing exploitation and inequities in open science: A relational perspective.

There are concerns that participation in open science will lead to various forms of exploitation - of researchers and scholars in low-income countries and under-resourced institutions. This article defends a contrary thesis and demonstrates the exact ways the underexplored notions of communal relationships, human dignity and social justice - and the normative principles to which they give rise - grounded in African philosophy can usefully address critical concerns regarding exploitation in the sharing of research resources to facilitate open partnership/collaboration and reuse. Further research is required to study the specific roles different institutions can play in facilitating open practice and contribute towards establishing effective structures that can enhance equity and balance unfavourable power asymmetries.

Examining the criteria of human dignity.

One of the critical aspects in discussing human dignity is the establishment of its criterion, a standard unique to humans. This criterion should effectively create a fundamental and structural distinction from other creatures. Initially, our focus was on the endeavors of biologists to differentiate the human species from others, emphasizing the physical aspects. However, physical and genetic differences lack the necessary characteristics to serve as a criterion for dignity. Subsequently, we explored the notion of this criterion in human behavior. Yet, given that behavior stems from human thought, it proves unsuitable as a criterion for dignity. Thus, our quest led us to explore human wisdom. However, since wisdom, like other abilities, serves as a tool for improved living and is present to some extent in other animals, it proves inadequate as a criterion. We have determined that the distinguishing characteristic lies in the power of choice or free will, setting humans apart from other living beings whose behavior is solely instinctual or driven by needs. Consequently, free choice forms the foundation of dignity, assigning value to the chooser based on the choices made.