Prospective bioethics

Bioethics, the critical reflection on biomedicine and biotechnology, is often given a task by society similar to that of a 'fire brigade': to put out fires when they start. It is expected to tell us how to solve a problem that has acutely emerged. This is similar to doing something first because it is technically possible, and only then starting to think about whether what we did was good, whether our decision to do what is technically possible was right. We probably need both: to think retrospectively and to think ahead. By thinking ahead, we touch upon the future, which we thus anticipate and, through our actions, transform into the present. And it is the future that is absolutely crucial to how we handle technology, science, and medicine. It is not just about that the future exists, but also about what it will be like. Before we do something, it is normal to think about it. The same should apply to the field of biomedicine and biotechnology. This book is an invitation to this way of thinking.