Comparative Empirical Bioethics: Dilemmas of Genetic Testing and Euthanasia in Israel and Germany

This book is a comprehensive,§empirically-grounded exploration of the relationship between bioethics,§culture, and the perspective of being affected. It provides a new outlook§on how complex "bioethical" issues become questions of everyday§life. The authors focus on two contexts, genetic testing and end-of-life§care, to locate and demonstrate emerging themes of responsibility, such as§self-responsibility, responsibility for kin, and the responsibility of society.§Within these themes, the duty to know versus the right not to know§one's genetic fate (in the context of genetic testing), or the sanctity of life§versus self-determination (in the context of end of life care) are identified§as culturally embedded dilemmas that are very much relevant for lay persons.§Furthermore, cultural factors such as religion, history, utopian and§dystopian views of biomedical technologies, outlooks on the body and on§health/illness, and citizenship are examined. Health issues are increasingly§becoming a question of assessing risk and responsibility: How can we better§prepare ourselves for the future? We all make such assessments in a way that§combines personal inclinations, professional recommendations, and cultural§framings. There is still much to be learned about the interplay between these§three dimensions.§§