ethics and scientific research: the manifesto od the pontificia academia pro vita, by adriano pessina

Ethics and Scientific Research The Manifesto of the "Pontificia Academia Pro Vita" Ending its ninth General Assembly, the Pontificia Academia Pro Vita has put forth a document calling for “ethical commitment” addressed to “all researchers and those involved in research in the biomedical field and also to researchers in bioethics”.
The Proposal for an Ethical Commitment is dated March 13, 2003. The document is structured in two parts:
a brief premise
and a sort of “oath”, itemized in seven points.
The motivation underlying the Proposal is, once again, the need to throw a bridge between research and procedures in the biomedical field and ethical and anthropological considerations based on philosophical and religious convictions. The focus is centred on the “human person” and its own good.
The document considers three aspects of the concept of “good”: the moral good of the subject of the research; the good of the human person as a possible patient and beneficiary of research; and the common good seen as the objective of a knowledge transcending the categories of utility and economic convenience. The premise lays out, concisely but clearly, an anthropological concept that has its roots in the tradition of personalistic spiritualism.
It is the statement of a principle, introducing two distinct requirements: the need “to offer young researchers formative programmes that emphasize not only scientific training, but also the acquisition of fundamental notions in anthropology and ethics”, and also the need to create what can be called a code of conduct for people who do research. The commitment to which researchers are called is a tentative draft of this code of conduct, and it is intended to outline “the principal features of the researcher’s ‘moral personality’”.
One the key points of the commitment that researchers are asked to subscribe to is expressed in the fifth item, which recognizes the specific dignity of every human being, in every stage of development, from its origin (defined as the moment in which the egg is fertilized) to its death. This recognition is the foundation for the points that follow, which deal with experimentation and reassert the respect due to the human person and its rights.
This initiative, coming from an authority such as the Pontificia Academia Pro Vita, which gathers scholars from many countries worldwide, deserves to be better examined. The formulation is very synthetic, yet it serves quite effectively to open a discussion and stimulate considerations on the need to establish a “virtuous” relationship between the received education in empirical sciences and a supporting ethical and anthropological background. Certain points, such as the one requiring the subject’s informed consent as a pre-requisite for any clinical experimentation, could be better specified and articulated. In fact, situations may arise where legitimate experimentation might be carried out for the patient’s good without it being possible to obtain his or her express consent. Experimentation on animals is another field in which it would be useful to have something more than a generic reference to “determined ethical guidelines”.

The persons to whom this proposal is directed are first of all those who belong, for their personal history and convictions, to Christian or Christian-inspired cultural traditions, but the intent is clearly to go beyond denominational restrictions and establish a dialogue with all those who, whether for philosophical reasons or religious motivations (not necessarily Christian), are willing to ask themselves some serious questions on the ethical objectives of scientific research and procedures.
Even those who are part of Christian-based traditions might feel the need to rethink and better define the sense of their activity. This document appears to call for a sort of Hippocratic oath that is not intended for doctors only, but for all that complex and articulated network of researchers who work in the many fields of experimental research. A similar form of dialogue would be also desirable among students of ethical and philosophical studies, who often remain silent to the requests for explanations and analysis that arise from developments in scientific research. It is of no avail to have inherited a wealth of deep-reaching philosophical ideas if we are not willing to apply them in a serious confrontation with the expanding borders of knowledge and the experimentation capacity that modern technology has provided to Western man.
On my part, I have adhered to the Proposal, not just because I agree with its principles, but especially because I think it is necessary that we take this occasion as a starting point for a discussion among all those who share at least the common conviction of the importance of what is at stake: a non-equivocal conception of human progress. This Proposal represents a clear and authoritative basis, and it is also flexible enough to allow an interdisciplinary and intercultural exchange. Let us hope it will not be left to waste amid the indifference of people who are “too busy” to stop and think about what they are doing.
Transl. by interpres sas

Adriano Pessina
Cattedra di Bioetica Università Cattolica del S.Cuore - Milano

PONTIFICIA ACADEMIA PRO VITA
Proposal of an Ethical Commitment for Researchers in the Biomedical Field

Introductory Note
The following “manifesto” is published as an appendix to the Final Communiqué of the IX General Assembly of the Pontifical Academy for life. It is a concrete result of the Assembly’s deliberations, whose theme this year was “Ethics of biomedical research. For a Christian vision”, offered as an open proposal to be freely supported. The invitation for a personal adherence is addressed to all researchers and those involved in research in the biomedical field and also to researchers in bioethics.
Those who wish to adhere to this “manifesto”, which means that they embrace the principles it contains, should communicate to the Academy by one of the following ways:
- by email (address to: pav@acdlife.va )
- by fax (send to: +39 06 69882014)
- by ordinary mail (address to: Pontificia Accademia per la Vita, Via della Conciliazione 3, 00193 Roma - ITALY)
Whatever the chosen modality, it is obligatory to include one’s personal details (name, surname, address, telephone, fax, email), profession and place of employment, academic degrees and other qualifications.

Premise
The scientific developments of recent decades have brought about important cultural and social transformations, modifying in a qualitative way many aspects of human life.
Indeed, the advance of scientific progress in many sectors has given rise to great hopes of concrete improvements for the life and future of the human person.
However, in certain sectors of scientific research problems and/or doubts of an ethical and religious nature have arisen; they have demonstrated unequivocally the real need for constant dialogue/integration between the experimental sciences and the broader human sciences and philosophy in terms of operating in a more ample perspective so that the acquisition of greater knowledge may effectively serve the true good of the human person. Human life and human nature appear to be realities too complex to be exhaustively evaluated from a single perspective; a multidisciplinary approach therefore appears indispensable for a better understanding of the human being in his integrity and contribute to a meaningful growth of a science that would truly be for the human being.
Moreover, such an interdisciplinary dialogue, by re-focusing attention on the centrality of the human person, would make the scientists more aware of the ethical implications of their work, and, conversely, would incite those involved in philosophical and theological anthropology to assume toward the scientists a mission of dialogue, collaboration and practical support , with the mutual intention of developing cognitive and applied tools for the service of the human community.
In this perspective, the reference to human values, and finally, to an anthropological and ethical vision, is an indispensable premise for a correct scientific research, that recognises the person’s responsibility to himself and to others.
In fact, without reference to ethics, science and technology can be used either to kill or to save human lives, to manipulate or to promote, to destroy or to build. It is therefore necessary that, through responsible management, research be addressed toward the true common good, a good that transcends any merely private interest, going beyond the geographical and cultural boundaries of nations and keeping one’s vision directed toward the good of future generations.
For science to be really placed at the service of the human being, it is necessary that it goes “beyond matter”, intuiting in the corporeal dimension of the individual the expression of a greater spiritual good.
Scientists should understand the human body as the tangible dimension of a unitary personal reality, which is at the same time corporeal and spiritual.
The spiritual soul of the human being, although not in itself tangible, it is always the root of his existential and tangible reality, of his relationship with the rest of the world, and consequently, of his specific and inalienable value.
Only such a vision can make scientific research effectively respectful of the human person, considered in his complex corporeal-spiritual unity, every time he/she becomes the object of investigation, with particular reference to those events that constitute the beginning and the end of the individual human life.
For this reason, emerges a strong need to offer to young researchers formative programmes that put the accent not only on the scientific preparation, but also on the acquisition of the fundamental notions of anthropology and ethics.
The expression of such programmes could, then, crystallize in the elaboration of a true and proper Deontological Code for researchers, to which each researcher could safely refer in his work, and which, at the same time, would represent a sign of hope and commitment for a truly “humanized” medicine in the new millennium.
A first indication of the way to take, might concern the manner in which the researchers should behave and the norms they should observe in order to direct their research towards the objective just recalled above.
It is our desire to propose such ethical indications, to which we firmly adhere, to all others who are involved in the world of biomedical research; somehow, they delineate the principal features of the researcher’s “moral personality”.

Commitment
1.
I commit myself to adhere to a methodology of research characterized by scientific rigour and a high quality of the information that is furnished.
2.
I will not take part in research projects in which I could be subject of a conflict of interests, from the personal, professional or economic point of view.
3.
I recognise that science and technology must be at the service of the human person, fully respecting his dignity and rights.
4.
I recognise and respect all researches and their applications which are based on the principle of “moral goodness” and referring to the correct vision of the corporeal and spiritual dimensions of the human being.
5.
I recognise that every human being, from the first moment of his existence (process of fertilization) up to the moment of his natural death, is to be guaranteed the full and unconditional respect due to every human person by virtue of his peculiar dignity.
6.
I recognise, because of my duty to safeguard human life and health, the usefulness and the obligation of a serious and responsible experimentation on animals, carried out according to determined ethical guidelines, before applying new diagnostic and therapeutic methodologies to human beings.
I also recognise that the passage from the experiments with animals to the clinical experimental stage (on man) should take place only when the evidences resulting from the experiments with animals sufficiently demonstrate the harmlessness or the acceptability of the possible harms and risks that such experiments might involve.
7.
I recognise the legitimacy of clinical experiments on the human being, but only under precise conditions, including, in the first place, the safeguarding of the life and physical integrity of human beings who are involved. Then, there is the need that the experiments be always preceded by proper, correct and complete information regarding the significance and developments of the same experiments.
I will treat each person who submits to an experiment as a free and responsible subject and never as a mere means to achieve other ends. I will never let a person be involved in an experiment unless he/she has given his/her free and informed consent.

(original version in Italian, published in “L’Osservatore Romano”,
Thursday 13 March 2003, p.7)