Beyond Western Conservatives and Progressive Liberals: A Moderate Islamic View

Abstract

LANGUAGE NOTE | Document text in English

Professor David Solomon examines the cultural conflicts and conflicts in bioethics in the United States. Conservative Christians wish to establish a Western account of bioethics based on their religious view of dignity. In contrast, progressive liberals argue that bioethics should be based on pure reason or rational arguments, regardless of the features of any particular religion or culture. The aim of this commentary is to show that the cultural conflicts and divisions that afflict bioethical debate in Bangladesh are very similar to those in the United States. Moderate Muslims wish to maintain the core values of their Muslim culture and at the same time benefit from the modern development of science and technology. In contrast, progressive liberals, influenced by modern Western traditions, have sought to establish a moral philosophy based on secular reason in the Muslim country of Bangladesh. However, this individualist Western approach is at odds with the Muslim culture of Bangladesh, where non-individualist values are prevalent. In this commentary, it is also contended that the progressive liberals are unreasonably ambitious in attempting to establish universal bioethical norms for Muslim culture regardless of cultural differences.

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