Religious Perspectives on Bioethics and Human Rights

This book deals with the thorny issue of human rights in different cultures and religions, especially in the light of bioethical issues. In this book, experts from Christianity, Judaism, Islam, Buddhism, Daoism, Hinduism and Confucianism discuss the tension between their religious traditions and the claim of universality of human rights. The East-West contrast is particularly evident with regards to human rights. Some writers find the human rights language too individualistic and it is foreign to major religions where the self does not exist in isolation, but is normally immersed in a web of relations and duties towards family, friends, religion community, and society. Is the human rights discourse a predominantly Western liberal ideal, which in bioethics is translated to mean autonomy and free choice? In today's democratic societies, laws have been drafted to protect individuals and communities against slavery, discrimination, torture or genocide. Yet, it appears unclear at whatmoment universal rights supersede respect for cultural diversity and pluralism. This collection of articles demonstrates a rich spectrum of positions among different religions, as they confront the ever more pressing issues of bioethics and human rights in the modern world. This book is intended for those interested in the contemporary debates on religious ethics, human rights, bioethics, cultural diversity and multiculturalism.

This book deals with the thorny issue of human rights in different cultures and religions, especially in the light of bioethical issues. In this book, experts from Christianity, Judaism, Islam, Buddhism, Daoism, Hinduism and Confucianism discuss the tension between their religious traditions and the claim of universality of human rights.  The East-West contrast is particularly evident with regards to human rights.  Some writers find the human rights language too individualistic and it is foreign to major religions where the self does not exist in isolation, but is normally immersed in a web of relations and duties towards family, friends, religion community, and society.  Is the human rights discourse a predominantly Western liberal ideal, which in bioethics is translated to mean autonomy and free choice?  In today’s democratic societies, laws have been drafted to protect individuals and communities against slavery, discrimination, torture or genocide.  Yet, it appears unclear at whatmoment universal rights supersede respect for cultural diversity and pluralism.  This collection of articles demonstrates a rich spectrum of positions among different religions, as they confront the ever more pressing issues of bioethics and human rights in the modern world. This book is intended for those interested in the contemporary debates on religious ethics, human rights, bioethics, cultural diversity and multiculturalism.

PART I: Theoretical Discussions.- 1. Respect for Cultural Diversity and Pluralism (Henk Ten Have).- 2 Cultural Diversity in UNESCO Bioethics (John Lunstroth).- 3 Human Rights and the Relational Self: A Personalist Approach (Denis Chang).- 4 Convergence of Human Rights and Duties: Towards a Global Bioethics (Alberto Garcia, John Lunstroth, Dominique J. Monlezun, Claudia R. Sotomayor).- PART II: Asian Religions-Buddhism.- 5 On Human Rights and Freedom in Bioethics:  A Philosophical Inquiry in Light of Buddhism (Ellen Y. Zhang).- 6 A Response to Ellen Zhang’s “On Human Rights and Freedom in Biomedical Ethics: A Philosophical Inquiry in Light of Buddhism” (Soraj Hongladarom).- 7 A Response to Ellen Zhang’s “On Human Rights and Freedom in Biomedical Ethics: A Philosophical Inquiry in Light of Buddhism” (Colleen M. Gallagher).- PART III: Asian Religions-Confucianism.- 8 Universal Declaration on Bioethics and Human Rights: A Confucian Critique (Jonathan Chan).- 9 Developing Confucian Virtue-based Rights: A Response to Jonathan Chan’s Confucian Critique of the Universal Declaration on Bioethics and Human Rights (Ruiping Fan and Wenqing Zhao).- 10 Response to Jonathan Chan, Universal Declaration on Bioethics and Human Rights: A Confucian critique (Alex Yeung).- PART IV: Asian Religions-Daoism.- 11 Daoism and the Universal Declaration on Human Rights and Bioethics (Bede Benjamin Bidlack).- 12 Daoism and Human Rights: Integrating the Incommensurable (David A. Palmer).- 13 Daoism, Human Rights, and Bioethics (Roland Chia).- PART V: Asian Religions-Hinduism.- 14 Duties and Rights in Hinduism: Before and After India’s Independence (Prakash N. Desai).- 15 UNESCO on Cultural Diversity, Bioethics, and Hinduism (John Lunstroth).- 16 Hinduism and Human Rights (Martha Tarasco).- PART VI: Monotheistic Religions-Christianity & Catholicism.- 17 The Christian-Catholic religious perspective: Human rights, cultural pluralism and bioethics (Laura Palazzani).- 18 The Dialectical Relationship between Human Rights and the Christian Faith: A Response to Prof. Laura Palazzani (Kai Man Kwan).- 19 An Islamic perspective on “The Christian-Catholic religious perspective: Human rights, cultural pluralism, and bioethics” (Aasim I. Padela).- PART VII: Monotheistic Religions-Islam.- 20 Bioethics from Islamic Perspective (Dariusch Atighetchi).- 21 Discussion of Prof. Dariusch Atighetchi’s paper: General Considerations about Islamic and Universal Bioethics (Nouzha Guessous).- 22 Response to Darius Atighetchi’s paper on the Islamic Position (Gonzalo Miranda).- PART VIII: Monotheistic Religions-Judaism.- 23 Between Humaneness and Human Rights – A Jewish Perspective on Modern Bioethics (David Heyd).- 24 Response to Professor David Heyd’s Paper entitled “Between Humaneness and Human Rights, A Jewish Perspective on Modern Bioethics” (Jonathan and Adina Halevy).- 25 Response to the Paper, “Between Humaneness and Human Rights” (Hans Ucko).- 26 Lessons Learned (Joseph Tham).