The Margin of Moral Duty of Human Being to Participate in Biomedical Research

Abstract

The existing paradigm of biomedical research ethics, based on respecting the free and informed consent of the research participant, originates from the famous Nuremberg Trial (1947), where the Nazi doctors were convicted of killing and torturing prisoners using medical experiments in German Concentration Camps during World War II. Since the second half of the 20th century, several international instruments have been developed to protect the rights of persons involved in research, considering the voluntariness of participation. Nevertheless, scientific community started to discuss the moral basis of mandatory human participation in biomedical research. Even today, some scholars argue that biomedical research creates public goods in the form of health, safety, and knowledge enjoyed almost by all members of society. The moral duty to participate in research is due to the need for public participation in producing public goods. Others suggest that human beings have a moral obligation to take some risks to help others. So, the moral duty to participate in biomedical research relies on the principles of justice, beneficence, etc. Considering the importance of this issue for research ethics, this article discusses the doctrines and theories, including public goods, free-riding, and beneficence, to set the margin of the moral duty of human beings to participate in biomedical research.