History offers modern slant on bioethics

University of Queensalnd historian Dr Sarah Ferber is redefining contemporary bioethics to include a historical dimension. And she's planning a book exploring topics such as medicine and social morality, human experimentation, women and reproductive medicine, genetic research and euthanasia.

Dr Ferber's project, one of the first of its kind, aims to reshape scholarly enquiry, professional medical training and public debate on bioethics. It will also, she hopes, boost public debate by encouraging people to bring nuanced views to emotive issues.

"History's not just a body of dead facts," Dr Ferber said. "Reflection and analysis increase understanding, help explain change, and inform the way we think about the world we're making.

"I want to create a new idea of what medical history and bioethics are, and provide a major intervention in three emerging disciplines: the social history of medicine; the medical humanities; and bioethics."

Dr Ferber says the historical context promotes understanding at the personal level, where medical and social values interact.

"It helps you make comparisons and expand your choices," she said. "For example, new gene technologies can be compared to earlier eugenics, but the comparison isn't always totally valid."

Dr Ferber said that universities with reputations for scientific innovation traditionally balanced that with reflection on where such innovation would lead.

"It's not a luxury to think about where medicine and science are going," she said. "It's a necessity, and my project is one of several University of Queensland initiatives linking medical/scientific enquiry with the humanities and social sciences."

Item provided courtesy of The University of Queensland