Bioética global y ética biocultural / Global bioethics and biocultural ethics

La ética biocultural recupera una comprensión de los vínculos vitales entre los hábitos de vida de los co-habitantes (humanos y otros-que-humanos) que comparten un hábitat. El marco formal de las «3Hs» de la ética biocultural nos entrega una herramienta conceptual y metodológica para comprender y también para administrar de mejor manera sistemas ecosociales o bioculturales en las heterogéneas regiones del planeta. A partir de la bioética global originalmente propuesta por V.R. Potter, la integración de teoría y praxis impulsada por Alfredo Pradenas en la Sociedad de Bioética de Chile, y el marco conceptual de la ética biocultural (incluyendo tradiciones de pensamiento filosófico, científico y amerindio), realizo un análisis comparativo sobre: (I) una concepción ecosistémica e intercultural del cuerpo humano, (II) una comprensión intercultural de la salud con prácticas complementarias de medicina amerindia y occidental, y (III) un aprecio y respeto por los vínculos fundamentales entre los hábitos de vida, los hábitats donde tienen lugar, y el bienestar e identidad de las comunidades de cohabitantes. Los vínculos implícitos en las «3Hs» de la ética biocultural están presentes en los significados primigenios del término ethos. Esta comprensión recupera una raíz primaria en la génesis de la ética occidental, que no surgió acotada al cómo habitar o morar humano, sino que consideró también el dónde habitar y con quiénes co-habitar. Propongo restaurar la complejidad y amplitud del concepto de ética fraguado en la Antigua Grecia, reafirmar las raíces comunes de la bioética y la ética ambiental contenidas en la bioética global potteriana, e incorporar la perspectiva sistémica y contextual de la ética biocultural que valora la diversidad biológica y cultural (y sus interrelaciones), para sostener una concepción de la salud humana interconectada con la sustentabilidad de la biosfera

The biocultural ethic recovers an understanding of the vital links between the life habits of the coinhabitants (humans and other-than-human) that share a habitat. The «3Hs» formal framework of the biocultural ethics provides a conceptual and methodological tool to understand and to better manage complex eco-social or biocultural systems in heterogeneous regions of the planet. From the global bioethics originally proposed by V.R. Potter, the integration of theory and praxis promoted by Alfredo Pradenas in the Bioethics Society of Chile, and the conceptual framework of biocultural ethics (including traditions of philosophical thought, scientific and Amerindians), I develop a comparative analysis of: (I) an ecosystemic and intercultural concept of the human body, (II) an intercultural understanding of health with complementary Western and Native American medicinal practices, and (III) an appreciation and respect for the fundamental links among the life habits, the habitats where they take place, and the well-being and identity of the communities of cohabitants. Implicit links in the «3Hs» biocultural ethics are present in the archaic meanings of the term ethos. This understanding retrieves a primordial root in the genesis of Western ethics, which did not start bounded to how to inhabit or dwell, but also considered where to inhabit and with whom to co-inhabit. I propose to restore the complexity and breadth of the concept of ethics originated in Ancient Greece, to reaffirm the common roots of bioethics and environmental ethics contained in Potter’s global bioethics, and to incorporate the systemic and contextual perspective of the biocultural ethic that values biological and cultural diversity (and their interrelationships), to sustain a conception of human health interconnected with the sustainability of the biosphere

Ethnobotany/ethnopharmacology and mass bioprospecting: issues on intellectual property and benefit-sharing.

Ethnobotany/ethnopharmacology has contributed to the discovery of many important plant-derived drugs. Field explorations to seek and document indigenous/traditional medical knowledge (IMK/TMK), and/or the biodiversity with which the IMK/TMK is attached, and its conversion into a commercialized product is known as bioprospecting or biodiversity prospecting. When performed in a large-scale operation, the effort is referred to as mass bioprospecting. Experiences from the mass bioprospecting efforts undertaken by the United States National Cancer Institute, the National Cooperative Drug Discovery Groups (NCDDG) and the International Cooperative Biodiversity Groups (ICBG) programs demonstrate that mass bioprospecting is a complex process, involving expertise from diverse areas of human endeavors, but central to it is the Memorandum of Agreement (MOA) that recognizes issues on genetic access, prior informed consent, intellectual property and the sharing of benefits that may arise as a result of the effort. Future mass bioprospecting endeavors must take heed of the lessons learned from past and present experiences in the planning for a successful mass bioprospecting venture.