Bioethics and Edith Stein’s An Investigation Concerning the State

Abstract

In An Investigation Concerning the State, Edith Stein does not explicitly address aspects or concepts pertinent to contemporary bioethics. But the relation between an individual and the community focuses on the nature of the coexistence between citizens, which is relevant for thinking about bioethics. The different aspects that arise from this topic can be linked to the question of respect for the dignity of people. In this paper, problems or dilemmas arising in medicine and community health are addressed as well as aspects pertaining to the concept of physical body awareness. Other relevant and current aspects, including liberty, responsibility, sociality, and subsidiarity are discussed, which are all themes treated in Stein’s work.