Personalism

Abstract

To fully develop and be a reliable guide to bioethical issues globally, Global Bioethics needs at least these elements: a metaphysical foundation for the dignity of persons and a theory of persons. These principles require exploring from a global perspective principles of moral living, the transcendent character of persons, their orientation to Cosmic Person (or God) that transcends finite personal living, a moral compass, and a basis for interpersonal relationships and community. Personalism is any philosophy that considers personality the supreme value and the key to knowing reality and human rights. Therein lies the significance of Personalism for Global Bioethics. Personalism can provide the elements required for a defensible Global Bioethics. Outside of Christianity and Judaism, few Personalists have developed elements that aid the development of a Global Bioethics and that offer the potential to impact a broad range of current bioethics problems, such as allocation of finite medical and health-care resources, the use and limits of genetic manipulation in support of desired medical outcomes, informed consent, proper land and water use, death and dying, and family relations. These issues require a careful ethical analysis and an ethical framework from which those decisions can adequately be made. Though few Personalists have worked toward developing a Global Bioethics, Personalism is nevertheless rich in potential resources in its three dominant forms: Indian or Hindu, European, and American. Here these resources are identified from a historical viewpoint.

The American form of Personalism took root in the late nineteenth century, flowered in the twentieth century, and continues its life in the twenty-first century. Its earliest roots can be traced to a European form and back through Western philosophy to the Mediterranean basin. Long before its Western form, Personalism thrived in India through the six orthodox schools of Indian philosophy scattered along the Indus River Valley of the Indian subcontinent, developing parallel to Personalism in the West. Personalism did not develop in other areas of the globe, but Personalist themes can be found in many of them, providing rich resources for the development of an ethical framework for a Global Bioethics.