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Bioethics And The Moral Significance Of
Juha RÄİKKÄ*, Kaija ROSSİ**
* Ph.D., Professor University of Turku Department of Philosophy FIN-20014 Turku,** M.A., Researcher University of Turku Department of Philosophy FIN-20014 Turku, FINLAND
The view that unnatural things are somehow morally suspicious is repeatedly raised in discussions on bio- and gene technology. The so-called unnatural argument is, nevertheless, useful only when the exact meaning of ?natural' is defined. In gene technology an interesting definition of ?unnatural' is ?repulsive'. It can be argued that if an application or end product of an application evokes feelings of repulsion in a considerable amount of people, then it is morally suspicious.
In this paper, we will distinguish between respecting people's feelings as such as a morally justifiable action and the view that repulsion may be an indicator of rational beliefs or fears. We will argue that the former case is determined by weighing the benefits the applications may have over the discomfort people feel, and that feelings can indicate serious inarticulate concerns people have.Keywords: Unnatural, Feeling, Repulsion
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