Eubios Journal of Asian and International Bioethics - Eubios Ethics ...

4 Eubios Journal of Asian and International Bioethics 22 (January 2012)
move by the government has been discussed in terms of
peace and harmony in society.
Introduction
India is an ancient land. Its antiquity extends far back
in history to the Vedic civilization.
The Book of Esther (Bible) mentions the nation of India.
This book narrates many historical events dating back to
about 483- 470 BC. At that time the Medo-Persian
Empire was a global super power. The King of Persia
was king Ahasuerus (Xerxes I). His kingdom extended
from India to Ethiopia (Es.1 :1) with 127 provinces. It was
a multicultural (pluralistic), multinational, multiethnic and
multi-lingual kingdom. Every province retained its
ethnicity and linguistic identity. The King laws were
“written in the scripts and languages of all the people of
the empire, including that of the Jews” (8:9) and sent
through swift messengers who rode fast horses
especially bred for the kings services (8:10) to all the
highest officers, the governors, and nobles of all the 127
provinces. It also states about the characteristics of the
then Jews: The King was informed by one of his
ministers that “There is a certain people dispersed
among the peoples in all the provinces of your kingdom
who keep themselves separate…Their customs (laws)
are different from those of all other people, and they do
not obey the king’s laws; it is not in the king’s best
interest to tolerate them”. It is a clear case of racial
discrimination. Historical research indicates that the
Vedic people also had their own laws, customs and
maintained their distinguishing ethnic identity. It is
noteworthy that the Jews (3:8) and the Vedic people did
not mix with other national cultures of the Empire
because the Jewish Laws were targeting different social
values.
Adherence of The Ten Commandments and the
Mosaic Laws were in practice to keep community and
family values. On the other hand the Vedic rules and
regulations that kept the well being of the society were
contained in their Scriptures. Each nation and each
culture was living in peace and international law was the
dialogue that sustained peace. Can Laws in
contemporary India ensure such a peace in the family
and society?
Ancient Medical Advances in India
Ancient India practiced rich bioethical principles in
science, medicine and cosmology. In medical science
and technology, ancient classical treatises like Charaka
and Sushrata are standing testimony that there was a
well established health care system with well qualified
surgeons and physicians like Charaka who was the
official physician of the kings like Kanishka in the first
century AD. Scientific knowledge was so well advanced
that medical interventions like lithotomy (operation for the
removal of bladder stones) and repair of damaged nose
were of common occurrence. Advanced knowledge on
internal medicine was at their finger tips as they were
well versed in botanical knowledge of medicinally
important herbs and plants (1008 in number), 25 types of
salts, 64 types of arsenic, 9 different metals and about
120 varieties of metallic essences. They were expert
physicians in alleviating pain and curing diseases.
Physicians were prescribed a balanced personal
bioethical behavior (Azariah, 2003). Human health was
their prime interest.
Status of Human Foetus
Both Hindu scriptures (Vedic period) and Christian
scriptures (AD 1) affirmatively confirm that the foetus is a
conscious person since it meets it meets the
personhood-criteria set by Prof Peter Singer. In both
Hindu and Christian scriptures references to the foetal
quality of life can be found.
Religious Documents - Hindu
The Indian Vedic classical Epic Mahabharaatha
outlines the episode of Krishna’s conversation with his
pregnant sister Subharhtra. This Hindu Scriptures tell the
story of Abhimanyu who was conceived in the womb of
Subharthra. The conceptus Abhimanyu, as a foetus
responded to Krishna’s narration on the complete military
strategy of a specialized military formation called the
“Chackkra-uha”. The foetus heard the secret of braking
such a complex military formation as well as the method
to get into it. Abhimanyu responded to the narration
which angered Krishna. Hence Krishna did not complete
it as to how to get out of the formation after entry. At the
age of 16, Abhimanyu broke the military formation, but
was killed since he did not know how to get of such a
complex military formation. The listening capacity of the
foetus Abhimanyu can throw light on the bioethical
concept of foetus as a human person which stands in
contradiction to many of the modern bioethical positions
(Azariah, 2006).
Religious Documents -Christian
New Testament scriptures provide elaborate
description by a medical doctor who is the author of the
Gospel of St. Luke. He refers to the foetal quality of life.
When Mary, the mother of Jesus and Elizabeth met
(Luke 1:35-44) he has recorded that (v. 41) the babe
leaped in her womb (v. 44). The babe not only responded
by leaping in her womb but also the leap was qualitatively
different since the baby leaped for joy. John the Baptist
was a person in his mother’s womb. This passage
indicates (i) the close organic relationship between the
mother and the foetus; (ii) both behave like “twins” (i.e.,
one is able to communicate with the other without words);
(iii) the foetus is able to “hear” the greetings and
understand and respond (i.e., the foetus was conscious
of the events going around him and responded
accordingly); (iv) the mother is able to assess the
differences in the response of the growing foetus in her
womb; (v) there are differences in the response of the
foetus, it is not just “movement of the foetus” which is the
natural behaviour of the foetus during the sixth month of
gestation (i.e., it “leaped” – a quantitative difference
which the mother can sense); and (vi) the foetus has an
enjoyable experience. The phrase “leaped in my womb
for joy” can be taken to mean that John the Baptist, in the
foetal stage of his life was able to see the missionfulfilling
continued life of Jesus, and maybe also his own
(Azariah, 2006).
Singer (1993) has characterized ethically relevant
characteristics of the human person. Consciousness is a