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September 2014 EACME Newsletter
Contents
Editorial R. Porz
CME Lille
Some Plenary Appetizers 4
Assistance à la Vie en France D. Jacquemin
A new legislative proposal on assisted suicide in Germany A. Salkic
Soins palliatifs et fin de vie – un ouvrage important J. Martin
Will medical ethics survive? R. Nicholson
Global Advance Care Planning Conference R. Jox
Being in dialogue with colleagues and clinics across countries J. Bresson Ladegaard Knox
Bioethic at the movies K. Schmidt
Recensions
Visiting researcher at the Ethox centre L. Mahieu
Deadline next Newsletter
Editorial Board
Editorial
Dear friends, this year the EACME conference will be held in Lille, France from October 2nd – 4th. The topic of the conference is: frailty, vulnerability and social participation. Thus the conference deals with issues of conflict between ethically possible and ethical demanded ways of handling disability, an ageing society, psychiatric disorders etc.
Personally – as a big supporter of care ethics and feminist approaches to bioethics – I deem it extremely important, that an ethics conference approaches these topics with new glasses or lenses. Not only taking the perspective of a self-determined, autonomous individual, but adopting a perspective of interaction in society and social inclusion. These social circumstances can be related to members of the society which are not that self-determined and autonomous as the ideal of self-determination might pretend. Vulnerability as a change in mind-set to autonomy. It has often occurred odd to me that autonomy is such an undefined, often unquestioned ideal in Western ethics. Unfortunately, I am afraid that the lack of definition might also slip into the concept of vulnerability. To put it simple: Suddenly, everyone is highly vulnerable!
Sure, pregnant women are vulnerable, handicapped are vulnerable, research participants are vulnerable. What does it mean in particular? Who is in charge of the decision? Did anyone make the effort to ask these people if they really feel ‘vulnerable’? Or is vulnerability now degenerating to a description (gradation!) of those who we perceive as particularly needy and worthy of protection? Might be true, but please mind: This is almost discriminating!
That’s all from my side, I am looking forward to the discussions in Lille. As an „appetizer“ we already present you some plenary speakers’ thoughts in this newsletter – hot off the press. Moreover, this time we have so many exciting and meaningful contributions, that I cannot name them all. I only want to highlight one author: Richard Nicholson. He gives an impressing perspective of medical ethics in the context of global climate change – intriguing, but worrying at the same time.
Enjoy our Newsletter,
Rouven Porz, Editor
Download the full September 2014 EACME Newsletter
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