Units

BioEthics

The Center for Interdisciplinary Research in Bioethics, (CRIB) was established in 1987. Its task is to address the ethical issues arising from the development of Biomedical & Health sciences and technologies: medical ethics, history and philosophy of medicine, environmental ethics, ethics of biotechnologies, gen-ethics, applied ethics, neuroethics... Inter-disciplinary in the broadest sense of the word (Medicine, Biology, Philosophy, Law...), the CRIB supports a pluralistic and free-thinking approach.  The CRIB is linked to a Master of Ethics Program. Since its foundation, it has worked closely with the Belgian Advisory Committee on Bioethics. The documentation center of the CRIB includes a library and a database that offers bioethical information.

PHI. Philosophy

The PHI - Research Centre in Philosophy supports a conception of philosophy as a living practice deeply engaged in the present.   It is from this perspective that not only the different fields of philosophy (logic, metaphysics, ontology, epistemology, theory of science, ethics, aesthetics'), but also its history and its various trends, are approached.  The members of the PHI consider this diversity as a crucial condition for both teaching and an active and relevant involvement in the contemporary issues and debates as well as in the problems developed from other fields (art, law, politics, sciences, as well as the production of knowledge in general). http://phi.ulb.ac.be/

Projetcs

European Information Network Ethics and Law in Medicine and Biotechnology

Partenaire dans le projet European Information Network Ethics and Law in Medicine and Biotechnology (EUROETHNET 1999/C64/14) proposé dans le cadre du Framework V on Quality of Life and Management of Living Resources (Commission européenne)

The status of life and living being in bioethics: an historical, philosophical and critical study

Since its earlier definition (Fritz Jarh in 1927; Van Rensselaer Potter in 1970), bioethics means ethics of life in a broad sense. Today, ''bio'' includes human being but also all forms of life: natural, artificially produced by genetics engeenering or associated with some technological device. If the barriers between different forms of life fade today, it's also the case between life and matter. This research project aims to list, to analyze and to compare on a philosophical and ethical point of view these different aspects of life and living being in bioethics.

Methods and methology in bioethics.

Analysis, from a philosophical point of view, of the methods and methodology of bioethics considered as essentially interdisciplinary. Major issues : 1. ''neutral'' identification and analysis of bioethical problems; 2. successive stages of analysis and discussion of a problem; 3. types of contexts; 4. types of norms (ethica1, legal, scientific, administrative...); 5. principles; 6. specific input of philoso

Function of narration between philosophy and bioethics

Study of the historical and philosophical dimensions of the concept of narration in medicine and bioethics

A critical inventory of the main bioethical resources in the developped world. A data base.

The critical inventory of the main bioethical resource, in the world (E.U., International Organization, North America, South-East Asia and Australia, mainly) includes (1) fundamental bibliography; (2) most important centers and organization; (3) legislation and deontology; (4) resource-persons. This inventory is in progress and available as a data base.