[Wisdom of the World Medical Association (to one forgotten anniversary)]. / Moudrost Svetové lékarské asociace (k pozapomenutému výrocí).

BACKGROUND: The idea to found an international medical organization was born in July 1945 at the informal conference of doctors from several countries which was held in London. This date represents the very beginning of The World Medical Association. We can therefore celebrate its 70th anniversary and above all to congratulate WMA for keeping the true wisdom of medical ethics and therefore also the integrity of the medical profession to this day. In any medical decision the best interest of individual patient should be considered first.

[Which ethics for medical ethics? Homage to Hans Jonas, 1903-1993]. / Která etika pro lékarskou etiku? Pocta Hansu Jonasovi, 1903-1993.

Hans Jonas, one of the greatest philosophers of the 20th century, devoted several studies to the ethics in context with medicine and/or to the new biomedical research. His main thoughts in this field are presented (death and dying, mortality, reflections on experimenting with human subjects - nontherapeutic research, cloning, chimaeras). He was a man of wisdom and his humanity and moral sensibility are a matter of admiration. His ethics is in full consent with ethics and the dignity of medical profession. His ideas are compared (and contrasted) with those of the new bio"ethics".

[Physician and freedom of conscience]. / Lékar a svoboda svedomí

In the arena of bioethics we can find the ideas trying to deny the right to freedom of conscience to physicians. This is an attack upon morality itself. It is therefore urgent to outline the basic knowledge dealing with conscience and to be aware of the fact that violation of conscience leads to breakdown of conscience. The present article deals with Socrates daimonion and his conviction of objective truth as well as with other similar thoughts of great philosophers and theologians in this context: everybody is able to recognize good and evil, some basic knowledge of the common truth exists in the heart of everyone. The feeling of guilt and the capacity to recognize guilt should not be suppressed: the silence of conscience is the greatest tragedy of man. It is quite clear, that the doctor should not agree with the patients every wish, no matter how destructive it is. His own conscience and personal integrity as well as the fact, that the doctor should be the person of integrity, is a more fundamental notion than the respect to autonomy of the patient. Being engaged in killing [euthanasia] serves as an example of bewildering and silencing of conscience. The right to and the importance of physicians freedom of conscience are emphasized in many international documents; the relevant quotations are presented in the text. Key words: conscience, truth, euthanasia, autonomy, conscientious objection.

[Human dignity and medical ethics]. / Dustojnost cloveka a lékarská etika.

The concept of human dignity and the respect to it have issued from various sources--philosophical, religious and cultural. The text deals with the thinking of some philosophers (intrinsic dignity versus attributed dignity), with religious thoughts (explaining the dignity of man as being created in God's image) and discusses the important declarations, especially the Universal Declaration of Human Rights. This declaration (UN, 1948) recognizes, in consent with both--the best philosophical tradition and biblical faith, the inherent dignity and worth of every human being (person); it is the first principle and the inescapable grounding for all human rights. The term human dignity is hotly debated in the present bioethics arena; nevertheless it is the source of considerable and dangerous confusion as well. Some bioethicists deny implicitly or even explicitly the dignity of every human being (they conflate intrinsic and attributed dignity), and others proclaim that dignity is a useless concept. But the respect to human dignity is the cornerstone of all medical ethics--this discipline will be changed into ethical parody without it. It is therefore necessary to see the problems in the broader context and to stand firmly on the right side of the dispute: on the side of each and every patient.