I have been sitting on this blog address for a while now, trying to decide what I wanted to use it for. I coined the term "bioethical synthesis" as a tribute to Theodosius Dobzhansky, a great writer who initiated the "biological synthesis" to bring evolutionary biologists and naturalists together in harmony at a time when they threatened to fracture the field with their differing paradigms. I believe the same must be done for all fields of bioethics - medical, environmental, food/agricultural, and beyond. All concern biology and ethics, and all are connected - what we eat affects our health, and how and where food is grown affects how healthful it is to us, both in body and values. Therefore, I will focus on approaching issues with this perspective in mind.
What is my field? I have no one field, because I believe that what we need today are integrators, people who cross the arbitrary disciplinary lines to bring specialists together.
I currently consider myself with fluent understanding of these fields, able to read academic-level papers and discuss topics with experts with little preparation: biology, philosophy (Utilitarian, Deontology, Ethics), nutrition, political science (domestic), government/civics, medical ethics, medical technologies, biotechnologies.
I am either teaching myself or have a passing understanding of: virtue ethics, economics, sociology, feminist critique, chemistry, physics, history, globalization, international economics.
My inspirations are other multidisciplinarians like Van Rennselaer Potter, Thomas Friedman, Jared Diamond.
Currently, I intend to write entries analyzing and discussing various news in the policy and science arenas with an eye towards engaging multiple disciplines and highlighting areas of overlap between modes of thought. This will certainly evolve over time, and I am open to suggestions and requests for topics to cover.
Welcome!
No comments:
Post a Comment