Bioethics Journal
Year:2019 | Volume:9 | Issue:33|Papers Count:8

Background and Aim: One of the topics to be considered in students' curriculum is respect for the rights of other humans and animals. This study aimed to assess the status of animal rights components in elementary school textbooks. Materials and Methods: In this qualitative study, the statistical population consisted of textbooks of experimental sciences, social studies and heavenly gifts, third to sixth grade of elementary school in the academic year 2018-19. The data collection tool was a checklist that was based on 7 components of animal rights. The unit of analysis was the page (text, questions, exercises, and pictures). For analyzing the components, distributive frequency and the Shannon entropy index were used. Findings: The animal rights components included how to treat animals; to take care of animals; to reproduce and nurture animals and the position of animals in human life have not been paid sufficient attention, and their distribution has not been in a balanced and same manner. The component of "familiarity with animals and their status" had the highest frequency and the component of how to treat animals had the least frequency. Also, in terms of importance, the component of familiarity with animals and their position had the highest importance factor in social studies books and the component of taking care of animals had the least importance factor. Conclusion: The findings show that the components of animal rights have not been adequately distributed and balanced in elementary school textbooks. Utilization of the results in the review of these textbooks is highly recommended.

Background and Aim: Professional ethics in higher education institutions play an important role in preparing the young generation for the future. The purpose of this study was to design and psychometry of a tool for evaluating the professional ethics of faculty members in Urmia University. Materials and Methods: In this study, structural equation modeling method was used. The target population was all faculty members of Urmia University, Urmia, Iran. Kerjesi and Morgan table was used to determine sample size and sampling was done using proportional stratified random method. Data gathering tool was a researcher-made questionnaire of professional ethics in two dimensions of education and research that its content validity was confirmed by expert opinions and its construct validity confirmed by factor analysis. Cronbach's alpha coefficients were calculated 0. 96 and 0. 98 for the two mentioned dimensions, respectively. Data were analyzed using SPSS 22 and SmartPLS3 statistical software. Findings: The components of faculty members' professional ethics in the educational dimension include personality, professional competence, communication skills, student evaluation and organizational commitment; and in the research dimension include professional competence, individual characteristics, topic selection and problem expression, theoretical framework of research, research design, data collecting, analyzing, interpreting, concluding and reporting and referencing (P<0. 01). All components were favorable among faculty members. Conclusion: This study provides a tool for evaluating the professional ethics of faculty members. It is recommended to use this tool to evaluate and improve the quality of teaching performance as well as education and research in universities.

Background and Aim: The Self-Ownership in different doctrines and schools has different interpretations and accordingly the scope of freedom of action of individuals has a particular meaning. The present study analyzes the topic of the Self-Ownership in Islamic teachings and its ethical implications. Materials and Methods: This analytical study was conducted using verses, narratives and Jurisprudential and legal arguments in examining the Self-Ownership in Islamic teachings and analyzing its ethical implications. Findings: In Islamic doctrine, the Self-Ownership does not mean absolute autonomy that excludes all aspects of collective and even individual morality. Wisdom and the Shari'a as both supporters and guides of individual freedom have an important role in limiting the Self-Ownership. In Islamic ethics and law, human is dominant over himself; that means, he is dominant over his time and affaires, but he cannot forgo his own life based on his own will. Therefore, suicide and euthanasia are basically illegitimate. In the control of the body organs, any action that causes serious unintentional harm to itself is unlawful. Thus, compromise on organ amputation is illegitimate and organ donation is legitimate in certain cases. Conclusion: The Self-Ownership in Islamic doctrine does not mean freedom to harm one or the other. Thus in Islamic doctrine, ethics means the peaceful coexistence of human beings with a view to the common good, which is the opposite of extremist individualism in Western legal systems.

Background and Aim: Moral identity is one of the structures proposed in the psychology of morality which develops in the context of the family. The purpose of the present study was to predict the moral identity of high school boys with high-risk behaviors Based on family function components. Materials and Methods: In this descriptive-correlational study, the target population consisted of all high school boys in Bostanabad in the academic year of 2018-19. 186 students were selected through random cluster sampling. Brenner et al. (1995) high risk behaviors questionnaire, Epstein et al. (1983) family function questionnaire, and Black and Reynolds (2016) moral identity questionnaire were used for data collection. Descriptive statistics and Pearson correlation and multiple regression tests were used to analyze the data using SPSS software 21. Findings: There was significant negative relationship between moral identity with weak functions of roles, problem solving, emotional expression and general family function (r=0. 738, p<0. 001). The regression analysis also showed that the components of problem-solving and roles could significantly predict 56 percent of the variance of moral identity. Conclusion: According to the findings, family function plays an important role in predicting the moral identity of students with high-risk behaviors. Therefore, it is recommended that school counselors hold regular sessions for students 'parents about communication and problem solving skills, and family members' duties.

Background and Aim: Evolutionary ethics is a metaethical theory that aims to biologizing ethics within the framework of evolutionary theory. The purpose of this study is to explore the roots of ethics-one of the most important issues of meta-ethics in human evolution. Material and Methods: In this analytical study using the philosophical and biological data in the literature, the essential components of evolutionary ethics have been extracted from Wilson's point of view and the role of each in shaping this theory is explained. Then, the strengths and weaknesses of Wilson's evolutionary theory in solving ethical problems are discussed. Findings: Ethics, like any other evolutionary phenomenon, traverses the path of natural selection and its associated genes remain when ethical species are under the pressure of natural selection. From Wilson's point of view, the roots of ethics can be traced to the autocracy of genes, and find moral characters and behaviors such as sacrifice and altruism in them. But this theory, in addition to problems such as genetic alienation and human devaluation that other researchers have introduced, has other drawbacks and deficiencies, such as being incompetent in explaining all ethical principles and inability to explain absolute moral judgments. Conclusion: The results showed that Wilson's explanation of ethical roots faces considerable difficulties and cannot be regarded as a comprehensive theory and therefore needs to be repaired and reformed.

Background and Aim: Iron smelting is recognized as one of the largest energy-consuming industries in the world, thus, ethical justification of harms and benefits and evaluation of environmental risks of this project can provide significant economic and social development opportunities. The aim of this study was to evaluate the environmental impacts of Isfahan Iron smelting factory. Recognizing the level of its contamination can provide effective strategies to prevent and reduce potential pollution and environmental damages. Materials and Methods: In this analytical study, the status of the Isfahan Iron smelting factory was scored according to environmental principles. Then its environmental impacts and damages were evaluated, and practical recommendations were presented to prevent its destructive effects. Findings: The most important environmental damaging effects and harms of Isfahan Iron smelting factory are water and soil contamination due to wastewater and factory effluents, air pollution due to factory smoke and noise pollution. The highest pollution was related to air pollution and the least pollution was to soil pollution. The physical and biological contamination of the factory, especially in the years 2015 to 2018, was much higher than the economic and social benefits of the factory. Conclusion: Considering the identified harmful environmental effects, adherence to standard principles in waste management and treatment of industrial wastewater, and also utilization of new knowledge and technologies, in order to prevent damages and occurrence of environmental crimes is recommended.

Background and Aim: The Agriculture Agreement, as one of the important parts of the World Trade Organization, has an important role in accessing free markets and promoting public health, nutrition and environmental health. The present study aimed to explain the position of ethical rules in this agreement. Materials and Methods: This qualitative study was done through document analysis and explains the approach and position of ethical rules reflected in the WTO Agreement on Agriculture. Findings: Research activities, training, auditing, marketing services and promoting environmental programs, disease control, public storage for food security, domestic food aid, direct payments to producers, government's financial participation in the programs related to income assurance and insurance and payment for natural disasters, implies an ethical approach to the agreement. Justice, fairness and non-discrimination, honesty and non-deception, adherence to commitments, attention to public health and environmental protection are the most important ethical principles and rules in the agricultural agreement. Conclusion: According to the provisions of the Covenant of Agriculture, ethical principles such as justice and fairness, as well as environmental protection, can create favorable conditions for developing countries including the country, to avoid economic isolation and ensure their economic connections in the agricultural fields and food security of the community.

Background and Aim: Cyber space is changing rapidly. With the emergence of severe crises in this space, the harmonization of international treaties ethically can guarantee the creation of a global cyber dicipline. This study explores the ethical and legal dimensions of the global dicipline of cyberspace through the harmonization of international treaties. Materials and Methods: In this analytical study, based on international documents, the ethical and legal aspects of the globalization of international treaties are discussed and explained. Findings: Collaboration and participation in cyberspace globally requires the legal support of countries. There is also a coordinated role for governments to interact more by joining international treaties and integrating them to discipline of cyberspace. In fact, the globalization of cyberspace, as a new world, has transcended the limits of traditional laws. Therefore, domestic criminal regulations do not have the ability to deal with cybercrimes, and there is a growing need for countries to cooperate and interact with one another through the harmonization of international treaties and conformity with national laws based on ethical principles. Regardless of racial, regional, religious affiliations, respect for human dignity, human rights and non-discrimination; states must adhere to not only legally but also in terms of ethical values and norms, required to comply with international treaties. Conclusion: The global dicipline of cyberspace through the harmonization of treaties, calls for common ethical norms and universal rights and forged a common identity to build a united world community by transcending geographical boundaries and diversity of nations.