Bioethics through a philosophical lens: the (bio)ontological foundations of Juliana González Valenzuela’s proposal

Abstract

The enrichment of bioethical proposals built from and for Latin America has been increasing in recent decades. In order to contribute to this, our objective is to present a proposal for a bioethical interpretation from a philosophical approach based on the identification of central concepts of Mexican philosopher Juliana González Valenzuela. A dual bio-ontological foundation was identified: a) the “dialectic phenomenology of life,” which allows the synthesis between the biological and cultural aspects of human beings, as well as the overcoming of its contradictions; and b) the Homo humanus, which enables the existence of the bio-ethical being affirmed as an authentic being and one who seeks a good life (eu-bios and eu-zoein). Reflection on and critique of the implications that the bio-ontological foundation hypothetically couples to law and power led us to identify main arguments. However, the necessary link between the bio-ethical being and said disciplines was evidenced by virtue of their social and communitarian nature (zoon politikón, ζῷον πολῑτῐκόν).

Keywords

• Bioethics
• Ethical Theory
• Humanism;
• Collective Health