J. Savulescu"™s Challenging Bioethics

Abstract

A collection of eight articles written by the Australian philosopher Julian Savulescu between 2001 and 2011 was translated into Spanish and published in 2012. The translators, professors Rodríguez López and Bonete Perales, titled the book Dangerous Decisions? A Challenging Bioethics. This present article is, somehow, a commentary on this book. My basic aim is to point out two ideas about challenges in bioethics: Firstly, the idea that the decisions we have to make in bioethics are, in most cases, dangerous because their short- and long-term consequences are usually unknown. In this sense, bioethics is challenging indeed, and Savulescu shows perfectly well why this is so. Secondly, the idea that we need to set up a set of moral principles that form the foundation of those decisions if we want them to be well grounded, consistent and solid. In this other sense bioethics is challenging because it demands clarity, accuracy and coherence. I"™m not so sure Savulescu achieves this goal.