從生物倫理學進路之爭到跨文化理解

The aim of this article is to examine Joseph Tham's "Bioethics: Cross-Cultural Exploration. " Tham argues that the secular approach to bioethics advocates ethical responsibilities through the concept of universal human rights. However, the concept of universal human rights is only a supposition with no foundational theory, which renders this concept incompatible with the spirit of many cultures. This article uses Confucian culture as an example to support Tham's argument that the ethical responsibilities in Confucianism are based on the ideas of loving with distinctions and family-oriented values, ideas which stand in opposition to the concepts of egalitarianism and libertarianism. As such, the religious approach to bioethics can be corrective and supplementary to the secular approach to bioethics. This article concludes by pointing out that Tham's explorations of cross-cultural dialogue in the bioethical debate contribute to the intercultural understanding and complementarity between the East and the West. © Copyright 2022 by Global Scholarly Publications.