Bioethics and Jainism: From Ahimsa to an Ethics of Carefulness

Department: Philosophy

Date and Time: May 21, 2021 | 10:00 AM-11:30 AM

Event Location: Zoom

Event Details


The Center for Nursing Philosophy, co-sponsored by UCI Religious Studies, present Bioethics and Jainism: From Ahimsa to an Ethics of Carefulness with Brianne Donaldson, Shri Parshvanath Presidential Chair in Jain Studies at the UCI School of Humanities.

About the lecture
Dr. Donaldson writes:

“By following the evolution of medical treatment in the Jain tradition from antiquity to modernity, I trace a conceptual shift from consequences to carefulness in Jain ethics. I develop a Jain “ethics of carefulness” as an important philosophical adaptation rarely recognized in common representations of the Jain concept of nonviolence, or ahimsa.

Beyond prescriptive rules, an ethics of carefulness offers a distinct contribution to western normative bio/ethics, demanding a more robust account of pervasive life forms, of one’s desires and motivations, and of direct and indirect modes of harm.

I will conclude by considering an ethics of carefulness in relation to Jain views on modern reproductive ethics such as abortion and in vitro fertilization.”

Event date and time:
May 21, 2021

10-11:30 a.m. Pacific

1-2:30 p.m. Eastern

6-7:30 p.m. UK

Register HERE