생명복제 시대의 기독교 윤리 방법론

Abstract

The traditional method of Christian Ethics was typically deductive approach. It was about the method when ‘already given’ sumption is true, its consequential result was also found true. With the Christian Ethics methodology, because it talks about ethical issues came out of the Bible and rabbinism, a certain approach or method was already in its original sumption. Such a deductive method was not appropriate for further debate nor discussion to deal with as a Christian Ethics method. On this premise, the next generation including myself comes up with an inductive approach. As we agree, the inductive method draws a result out of various debate and process. Unlike deductive one, because it leads to a certain result through variety of possible experiments, it is good enough to debate Christian Ethics by a certain situation and context. Soon afterward, it is expected that deductive method and inductive approach might go for mutual compliment, so-called acceptance of “Situation Ethics.” It can deal with ethical issues in the midst of various situation through which can lead to an ultimate ‘Love.’ Albeit this method is seeking for the realization of love, it has a limit that in the process, the ethical subject might miss considered moral judgment. As an alternative to this, a reflective reasoning method is needed. Like the situation ethics, this reflective method is similar with the former in that a certain ethical principle was established through specific cases and individual situation. However, the reflective reasoning is a bit different in that it asks for rigid matching or conformity. In spite of this difference, the reflective reasoning method has a limit, so as to speak, considered moral judgment. Because ethical judgment, unlike the scientific common sense, is largely related to inherent prejudice, personal background, and religious belief, it is likely to incline for excessive bias based on the I-centered perspective. Seen above, many problems and limits were found in inductive, deductive, situation ethics, and reflective methods. In this bio-technological age, unpredictable issues in ethics came from all kinds of experiments dealing with human life is inadequate to debate the issues of traditional ethics. For this reason, we have to seek a new ethical theory that is beyond established one, it also asks for a responsibility ethics in other words, the ethics of virtue and mercy. The former one is an ethical theory comes from mature community dealing with caring people with mercy. The latter is a new theory appropriate for bio-technology age. By the rapid development of bio-technology industry causing so many unpredictable issues, it is asked for a responsibility ethics model even in Christian perspective bioethics. ‘Responsibility Ethics’ is a theory to reflect the current ethical issues such as unpredictable embryonic stem cells, gene testing etc. With regard these issues, it is expected that an age will come in which virtue and/or mercy-centered ethics with responsibility is desperately needed.