Are Bio-Ethics practical?

NISTH Think Out: Debate Series

In this episode, we are pleased to be joined by Professor Julian Savulescu. Professor Savulescu is the Chen Su Lan Centennial Professor in Medical Ethics at the National University of Singapore, where he directs the Centre for Biomedical Ethics. As an award-winning ethicist and moral philosopher, Professor Savulescu is also trained in medicine and neuroscience. Prior to coming to Singapore, Professor Savulescu held the position of Uehiro Chair in Practical Ethics at the University of Oxford from 2002, where is founded the Oxford Uehiro Centre for Practical Ethics in 2003. He is a Fellow of the Australian Academy of Health and Medical Sciences and holds an honorary doctorate from the University of Bucharest.
Being something of a rockstar of a bioethicist with a particular fascination with novel biotechnologies, Prof Savulescu shared with us how he came about choosing this field of study and how his research has been impactful to the society at large. While he believes that Bio-Ethics are practical, he understands how people find them to be very subjective and controversial. He stresses that practical ethics does not divert itself from its theoretical, normative roots, and are crucial to keep societies humane while they deal with the influx of technology.