The challenge of bioethics in an Asian context
Prof. Louis Aldrich, Taiwan
Here I will limit myself to the Chinese dimension of the challenge of bioethics in an Asian context. From this perspective we can point out, on the one hand, positive challenges involved in adapting and inculturating the teachings of the Church on bioethics to the rich ethical tradition of China; on the other hand, we are faced with strong negative challenges that result from the influence that Western secularism and logical positivism is having on contemporary Chinese society.
China has a long, complex and rich ethical tradition. This tradition, based on different understandings of what the Church calls the natural moral law, is open to being harmonized with Magisterium's understanding of bioethics; stated in another way, the Magisterium's teaching on bioethics can be inculturated into an ethical language the Chinese can understand within their own tradition. The following are a few examples of positive aspects of traditional Chinese ethical thinking that can serve as foundations for an inculturation of the Magisterium's teaching in bioethics: the Confucian stress that certain critical familial relationships (parent to child, husband to wife), and the virtues proper to these relationships, are grounded in man's nature, a nature that is good; the Buddhist teaching that human life begins at fertilization and that killing the unborn child is one of the three most serious sins; the position of the great neo-Confucist, Chu Hsi, that in moral evaluation nature takes precedence over function. It is a great challenge to thoroughly research and apply these and many other concepts drawn from traditional Chinese ethics to such questions as abortion, contraception, artificial reproduction, embryonic stem cell research, genetic engineering, etc.
Unfortunately, this positive work of inculturation has been limited on two levels: first, by the lack of trained Catholic moral theologians who also have a deep grasp of traditional Chinese culture and ethics; further, and more unfortunate, the rapid acceptance of secular humanism, logical positivism and deconstructionism is also inhibiting such work. This acceptance has come about so rapidly because of the large number of Chinese scientists and scholars trained in secular Western Universities and the influence the media and well financed, secular "Bio-ethical Research Centers." As a result, contraception and abortion, even in some places forced abortions, test-tube babies, embryonic stem cell research, etc. have been accepted in Chinese Asia. Hence, the negative challenge in Chinese Asia is the same one the Church faces everywhere in the West, how to overthrow the culture of death and create a culture of life. In creating this culture of life in China, a properly inculturated bioethics will play a critical role.