Confucianism Formalities and Bioethics

ABSTRACT

Confucianism has been adopting Formality-centering philosophy as political ideology and social standards. Especially family has been considered as an unit for enlightenment. It used to be told that stabilized Family results in stabilized society. And Family would be the religious unit as well as basic social unit or economic unit. Ancestor Worship helped family members united and mentally stabilized. These social trends consider the Customary Formalities something important. The Customary Formalities of the Family, including the ceremonies of coming-of-age, marriage, funeral, and ancestor memorial, used to be the principal of the Confucianism. Under this Confucian way of thought, Confucianism shows strict point of view in Bioethics.Actions against the Destiny; abortion, euthanasia, and suicide, are against the Dignity of human being. Brain Death is also against the Dignity of human being. According to the Confucian way of thought, human being should be respected whether it is alive or dead.Transplantation can mean sacrifice to preserve human being s integrity. However Confucianism tells that it is against the Destiny and just product of the existential individualism, that the human body is not inherited by the ancestor.Cloning, not lawfully permitted, is also against the Destiny and may violate the Dignity of human being and the Home. Furthermore it can be carried out for the Human being and the animal and negatively meant to neglect its Dignity.Advanced science sure brings benefits for the Human being to cure chronic diseases. It is just helpful to each individual and to lengthen span of life while its products; abortion, euthanasia, brain death, and cloning, are completely against the Destiny and sure violate the Dignity the Human being under the Confucianism and its Formalities.