Human experimentation has been a “Bunsen-burner” debate topic since the dawn of medical experimentation. In today’s society, years of scientific data and studying are necessary before medical experiments can be brought to human trials, but that doesn’t stop it from being controversial. Whether or not human experimentation should be allowed is widely debated, some claiming it’s necessity to medical science and well-being of society, while others argue it takes advantage of the individual for a societal need that isn’t necessarily a right. In is piece Philosophical Reflections on Human Experimentation, Hans Jonas argues against the exploitation of human subjection to medical experimentation. Jonas recognizes that medical experimentation is required for our base of scientific …show more content…
Jonas agrees that public health is a good thing as well, but he insists that uising humans as sjubjects for experimentation, which is potentially dangerous or hazardous, should not be done unless society, and the health of the public, is confronted with a “clear and present danger” of the scale of a rampant epidemic.
First, Jonas argues that consenting to be the subject of experiment is outside our normal moral obligations to public health. He provides that a truly moral valid consent has to be completely un-coerced and informed, and must occur out of a strong sense of individualistic, private commitment to the experiment. Jonas then debates the private and public responsibility towards healthcare and public health. He states, "public interest can be pitted against private interest, the common good against the individual good". Jonas is worried that these medical professionals see the individual as being society's property, which enables them to use him/her for the benefit of the community, ranging