[Professional moral character of physicians and clinical working environment].

Introduction: A survey of the experience of Icelandic medical candidates, general physicians, and specialty physicians of clinical work, aimed to show how the working environment affects doctors' moral character and experience of support, well-being and expectations. For comparison, results of a British survey with the same questions for specialty physicians were used.

Material And Methods: A total of 89 physicians answered 15 questions.

In defense of dignity: Reflections on the moral function of human dignity.

This paper defends human dignity in two ways. First, by confronting the criticism that human dignity does not serve an important function in contemporary moral discourse and that its function can be sufficiently performed by other moral terms. It is argued that this criticism invites a danger of moral reductionism, which impoverishes moral discourse.

Bioethics in Iceland.

This article examines ethical issues debated in Iceland concerning population genetic research, specifically methods of collecting biosamples and ways to return clinically relevant results to participants. Also discussed are scientific research in the health sector, a bill on surrogacy, and a policy on consent for organ donation.

The Person in a State of Sickness.

In this article, we discuss the ideas of Eric J. Cassell about the patient-professional relationship. We argue that his approach combines in an interesting way features from the literature on patient autonomy and paternalistic practices.

Toward critical bioethics.

This article deals with the question as to what makes bioethics a critical discipline. It considers different senses of criticism and evaluates their strengths and weaknesses. A primary method in bioethics as a philosophical discipline is critical thinking, which implies critical evaluation of concepts, positions, and arguments.

From species ethics to social concerns: Habermas's critique of "liberal eugenics" evaluated.

Three arguments of Habermas against "liberal eugenics" -- the arguments from consent, responsibility, and instrumentalization -- are critically evaluated and explicated in the light of his discourse ethics and social theory. It is argued that these arguments move partly at a too deep level and are in part too individualistic and psychological to sufficiently counter the liberal position that he sets out to criticize. This is also due to limitations that prevent discourse ethics from connecting effectively to the moral and political domains, e.

Scientific citizenship in a democratic society.

Using the example of the sociological analysis of biological citizenship and literacy, it is argued that a merely descriptive analysis of these phenomena does not capture their distinctive normative features. While such a description realistically demonstrates how citizens respond to and are shaped by biotechnology and biomedical discourse, it provides no critique of the forces moulding the citizen-consumer. Ideas of active citizenship fuel the search for forms of public engagement in the spirit of deliberative democracy.

Bioethical concepts in theory and practice: an exploratory study of prenatal screening in Iceland.

A hallmark of good antenatal care is to respect prospective parent's choices and provide information in a way that encourages their autonomy and informed decision making. In this paper, we analyse the meaning of autonomous and informed decision making from the theoretical perspective and attempt to show how those concepts are described among prospective parents in early pregnancy and in the public media in a society where NT screening is almost a norm. We use interviews with Icelandic prospective parents in early pregnancy (N = 40) and material covering the discourse around prenatal screening in the media over 5 years period.

Geneticization and bioethics: advancing debate and research.

In the present paper, we focus on the role that the concept of geneticization has played in the discussion about health care, bioethics and society. The concept is discussed and examples from the evolving discourse about geneticization are critically analyzed. The relationship between geneticization, medicalization and biomedicalization is described, emphasizing how debates about the latter concepts can inspire future research on geneticization.

[The use of embryonic stem cells for medical-therapeutical purposes: a study of attitudes among Icelandic physicians, lawyers and clergymen.].

Objective: To study the bioethical standpoints among three groups of Icelandic professionals in relation to the use of embryonic stem cells for medical-therapeutical purposes.

Material And Methods: In June 2002, a questionnaire was sent by mail to a random sample of 284 doctors and 293 lawyers, as well as all 168 practicing clergymen in Iceland. The participants' position in relation to the use of embryonic stem cells for therapeutical purposes was elicited through general questions as well as case examples.

[Authorization for database research].

It was characteristic of the discussion about the Icelandic Health Sector Database that its proponents laid heavy emphasis on technical security of health care information while the issue of consent for participation in the database was for them of minor significance. It was decided to have a policy of presumed consent which I find flawed from a moral standpoint. However, I do not agree with those critics who have demanded that informed consent for participation in research be obtained.

Coding and consent: moral challenges of the database project in Iceland.

A major moral problem in relation to the deCODE genetics database project in Iceland is that the heavy emphasis placed on technical security of healthcare information has precluded discussion about the issue of consent for participation in the database. On the other hand, critics who have emphasised the issue of consent have most often demanded that informed consent for participation in research be obtained. While I think that individual consent is of major significance, I argue that this demand for informed consent is neither suitable nor desirable in this case.