In the context of this chapter, cultural ethics differs from ethical culture, even as both share some mutual features. The latter refers to a type of belief centered on ethics, not theology, whose mission is to encourage respect for humanity and nature and to create a better world. But cultural ethics recognizes that while most ethical guidelines are universally replicated at different cultural milieus; certain standards are specific to certain environments. And just like ethical culture, observers of cultural ethics commit to personal ethical development in their communal relationships with others and in activities involving social justice and environmental stewardship.
Published in Chapter:
Personhood, Cultural Ethics, and Biomedical Research: African vs. Euro-American Perspectives
Ike Valentine Iyioke (Michigan State University, USA)
Copyright: © 2019
|Pages: 17
DOI: 10.4018/978-1-5225-6310-5.ch010
Abstract
This chapter rides on the premise that the concept of personhood, as embedded in research ethics principles, needs re-examining. As the base upon which the principles were developed and falsely universalized, it needs pointing out that personhood in the Euro-American sense differs markedly from what it is in non-Western cultures. A careful delineation of this understanding should be a teaching moment for researchers, clinicians, bioethicists, students and academics as they confront multicultural perspectives in health research. Hence, it helps to properly inform and effectively erase presumptive tendencies, so people can avoid any voluntary or involuntary unethical behavior, which may arise from ignorance particularly in multicultural settings.