VIEWING RESEARCH PARTICIPATION AS A MORAL OBLIGATION: In Whose Interests?

摘要

Like most obligations, the moral obligation to participate in research is prima facie or not absolute. Moreover, there is no moral obligation to participate in research when the potential risks to the individual far outweigh the expected benefits, when a study is poorly designed, or when the research has not been reviewed by an ethics committee. Recasting research participation as obligatory is therefore not a minor philosophical quibble about the moral status of an action. Viewing research participation in this way would constitute an ethical paradigm shift with global ramifications, analogous to other efforts to promote particular religious or secular moral views around the world. Show less