Verified Document

Current Ethical Buddhism Issues Term Paper

¶ … Buddhist Ethical Concerns There are numerous ethical issues that have tended to dominate and generate debate in the world during the last decade. Issues such as abortion, ecology, genetic engineering and animal experimentation are ethical problems that deeply concern all religious persuasions. These issues are of particular importance with regard to Buddhist views and practices. One of the central areas that have evoked a wide ranger of ethical responses from both Western and Eastern religions is the question of cloning and stem cell research. All of these issues confront the practicing Buddhist and all demand a response from the Buddhist viewpoint in contemporary life.

Underlying much of the Buddhist approach to contemporary ethical problems is the principle of Karma and the fundamental emphasis on actions that are non-harmful to other sentient beings. This foundational precept is based on the belief in the intrinsic value of all living things. This refers to the sanctity of life of all living entities, and not only human beings. This important principle is known as Ahimsa and it emphasizes respect for all living entities in themselves and " ... not merely for their usefulness to us as tools or means to ends." (Epstein R. 1998 )

From this view of the respect for all forms of life, the Buddhist concept of compassion developed as a central and guiding principle of all human actions. (ibid) It is from this fundamental basis that most Buddhists approach modern ethical dilemmas. It should also be noted however that there is no single unified Buddhist ethical doctrine and views in ethics and ethical situations may differ from school...

Unlike many Western perspectives, Buddhism sees science and scientific research as only one description of reality among many, and does not conceive of science as the ultimate measure of truth. Buddhists tend to see all life and living entities as being interdependent in a complex and holistic way.
The Buddhist teaching of interdependence and its corollary that all experience is karmic in nature jointly suggests that ... The scientifically 'real' and 'objective' world is -- like all other worlds -- an expression of certain consistently held values, a cultural artifact, and not truly neutral ground. (Hershock 10)

In other words, the general Western belief in the veracity of science is not accepted as the final and only worldview from the Buddhist point-of-view. This in turn has repercussions for the solving of ethical problems in the modern world; for example with regard to bioengineering and stem cell research.

An example of current ethical problems that confront Buddhism is the recent research and debate on cloning. The issue of cloning and stem cell research has raised many ethical problems due to the scientific breakthroughs that have occurred recently -- particularly in the field of stem cell research. Stem cell research presents the exciting and positive prospect of actually curing diseases such as Parkinson's, Alzheimer's, as well as spinal cord injuries and degenerative heart conditions. In terms of the medical benefits that stem cell research can produce and the alleviation of human suffering, this is obviously welcomed in Buddhist theology.

Given the emphasis that Buddhism places on the central virtues of knowledge and compassion, the recent advances in scientific understanding and the prospect of the development of cures and treatments which alleviate human suffering are to be welcomed.

(Keown D.)

However, on…

Sources used in this document:
Bibliography

Becker, Carl B. "Buddhist Views of Suicide and Euthanasia." Philosophy East & West 40.4 (1990): 543-556.

Epstein R. "Ethical and Spiritual Issues in Genetic Engineering." 1998. Retrieved May 25, 2005.

Ethical Issues in Six Religious Traditions. Eds. Peggy Morgan and Clive Lawton. Edinburgh: Edinburgh University Press, 1996.

Findly, Ellison. "The Specter of Speciesism: Buddhist and Christian Views of Animals." The Journal of the American Oriental Society 123.3 (2003): 685+. Questia. 24 May 2005 <http://www.questia.com/>.
http://www.science-spirit.org/webextras/keown.html
Introduction to Buddhist Ethics, May 24, 200 http://www.dharmalife.com/issue15/guidelines.html
Prebish, Charles S. "An Introduction to Buddhist Ethics: Foundations, Values and Issues." Buddhist-Christian Studies (2002): 236+. Questia. 24 May 2005 <http://www.questia.com/>.
Cite this Document:
Copy Bibliography Citation

Related Documents

Buddhism and Islam Perspectives on
Words: 1571 Length: 5 Document Type: Thesis

V. Conclusion Both Islam and Buddhism are great traditions that have contributed much to both history and religious development. In terms of morality, both religions make significant contributions. Buddhism teaches the learner that actions have consequences, and it is important to think about actions and consequences with one's own intellect in order to determine what actions should be taken. Islam, on the other hand, teaches that societal rights and wrongs are

Vietnam Moral and Ethical Issues Clearly Technological
Words: 911 Length: 3 Document Type: Term Paper

Vietnam Moral and Ethical Issues Clearly technological development, especially in terms of IT, has significantly impacted social and family life within Vietnam. In terms of family life, the structure and view of the family as a unit has changed in several ways. In terms of society, the globalization as a result of IT development has significantly impacted on Vietnamese philosophy and ethics. Globalization and Social Pressure According to Duiker (119) the dominant philosophy of

Religious Issue or Issues Facing
Words: 1553 Length: 5 Document Type: Essay

The school has accepted to offer different teachings in accordance to the diverse religious groups and movements in the society. Therefore, the school has catered for all the learners so that they are able to learn in accordance to their original faiths. Moreover, this strategy has worked to the advantage of many people in the society as done among learners in the school. The appreciation of different faiths has been

Compare and Contrast How Suicide Is Viewed Both in Buddhism and Christianity...
Words: 2543 Length: 10 Document Type: Term Paper

Buddhist and Christina Ethic on Suicide and Euthanasia The ethical issues associated with suicide and euthanasia are often viewed through the secular eyes of our modern world, yet many of the issues that are a part of the reasons why an individual might be for or against suicide and euthanasia are based almost entirely upon religious ethics. In this work a comparison will be drawn between the Christian and Buddhist views

Philosophical Ideals and Contributions to
Words: 1443 Length: 4 Document Type: Term Paper

Identify the following ten terms or philosophers: (Be sure your answers contain details and sufficient information for college level work.) 1) Buddha 2) Freud 3) Plato 4) Relativism 5) Camus 6) Kierkegaard 7) What is your definition or morality? 8) Does God exist and intervene directly in our affairs? 9) What is the relationship between religion and reason? 10) What philosophical ideals are you developing as a result of your

Asian Bioethics and Towards Reconciliation
Words: 1742 Length: 7 Document Type: Essay

Bioethics has been dominated by a European model, with European worldviews and philosophies dominating the discourse. This is true in academia as well as in public policy. The need for global bioethics discourse is pressing, because the life sciences are no longer regional or provincial in scope. For example, there has been a lot of speculation as to the progress made in East Asian cloning laboratories, particularly in China and South Korea. Claims

Sign Up for Unlimited Study Help

Our semester plans gives you unlimited, unrestricted access to our entire library of resources —writing tools, guides, example essays, tutorials, class notes, and more.

Get Started Now