When you put into Google “what is bioethics” what you get back is a literal definition. “The ethics of medical and biological research.” After reading the UNESCO Universal Declaration on Bioethics and Human Rights however, I think bioethics is much more than that.

I believe now that bioethics is more about a universal declaration, a declaration that applies to all peoples and states, on how we should treat others.

We are privileged to live in a day and age where major new advances in medicine, technology, and science are happening on a weekly if not daily basis. What I think this UNESCO declaration is trying to lay out is that we should 1: never manipulate other human beings, particularly others that we perceive to be from lower socioeconomic status than us, for scientific gain. We need to understand that these people are people too and all of our actions have reactions. 2: The study of bioethics should be for advancing and bettering human life.  When we study bioethics we should be looking to create progress in science and technology that “contributes to justice, equity and to the interest of humanity.”

While these seem like basic, simple principals, they can never be understated. As the famous saying goes, “with great power comes great responsibility.”