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European Ethical Pluralism and the Challenge of Bioethics
07 September 2012–24 October 2012, 5:00 pm–6:00 pm
Event Information
Open to
- All
24 October 2012, 5.30pm
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When Venue: Admission strictly by registration only. For RSVP details see below. |
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Organised in the framework of the Ambassador's "Belgian Salon" Series
Stem-cell research, GM crops, animal cloning are just a few topics among an increasing set of ethically controversial issues addressed by policy-makers in all economically developed societies. Advisory bodies at both the national and European level play an important role in thinking about and deliberating on the complex questions involved. Different models of public reasoning and decision-making are found in different national bioethical committees. Some strive to find a consensus in the midst of ethical pluralism; others see their task as merely to reflect that pluralism.
The discussion is aimed at examining the challenges that ethical pluralism poses for policy making, particularly in the field of regulation. Disunity is bad, but does that mean that pluralism is good? Policies are better when they are the products of dialogue and debate, but what if no consensus emerges? What does it mean for regulation in the European Single Market, if some societies take one position on ethically controversial questions and other societies take a different view? Can there be a European deliberative process that would adequately take into account whatever differences in sensitivities exist at the national and even sub-national levels?
These are just a few questions that will be discussed at the Belgian Salon, jointly organized by the Embassy of Belgium and the European Institute at University College London. Prominent speakers will introduce the debate that promises to be lively and thought provoking.
Programme
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5.30pm |
Arrival |
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5.40pm |
Welcome by Ambassador Verbeke |
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5.45pm |
Dr Albert Weale, Professor of Political Theory and Public Policy, UCL, London |
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Dr Paul Schotsmans, President of the Center for Biomedical Ethics and Law, Faculty of Medicine, University of Louvain, Belgium |
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Dr Inez de Beaufort, Professor in Health Care Ethics, Faculty of Medicine, Erasmus Medical Center in Rotterdam, The Netherlands |
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6.15pm |
Debate |
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7.00pm |
Reception |
The "Belgian Salons" are a series of events organized by the Belgian Embassy in London addressing issues of common interest in an innovative and critical perspective.
Registration
To book your place, please RSVP Ann Willems
RSVP: 020 7470 3720 Email: ann.willems@diplobel.fed.be
With the support of the Lifelong Learning Programme of the European Union.