The Theology Department of the Universidad Iberoamericana in Mexico City has initiated an Ethics Seminar where a number of professors working in the Department are investigating a fundamental framework apt to accommodate a wide range of ethical questions, in order to remedy the now prevailing uncomfortable situa-tion where adequate ethical principles have to be sorted out in each individual case and at the moment the ethical problem arises. Obviously, fundamental ethical principles and their corresponding conceptual frame-work would have to provide a guideline in all human situations, not just in medicine. Nonetheless, the devel-opment of new therapeutic techniques and possibilities of surgical and genetic intervention nobody ever dreamed of a relatively short time ago, has placed physicians in particular in an awkward and often troubling position with regard to important decisions about, for instance, if and when to deny, limit, or discontinue treatment.

There are, of course, ethical regulations in force in hospitals and ethical guidelines worked out and subscribed to by medical associations. The question is, however, whether these are adequate and whether they don’t leave out serious situations in which the physician depends mostly on his own conscience and set of ethical values for decision-making. Such situations arise especially – although not exclusively – in intensive care units, in high-risk surgery and in psychiatry. For those who read Spanish, there is a special link on the begin-ning of human life (inicio de la vida humana) and human cloning on this web page, which doesn’t exclude that questions related to these subjects – and others concerning the end of life (death, euthanasia, interruption of life sustaining measures) - can also be discussed in this link.

We are looking for a concept with a wide enough range to be useful in all ethical problems and we suspect this may be the concept of human dignity. This particular concept, depending on how it is understood, may well contribute in an important way to an exchange with other disciplines like economics, politics, sociology, philosophy, and law. If we are to do real work with the concept of human dignity, however, we will have to research and define it adequately and with the sufficient precision so that it can be applied to specific cases and situations.

A framework for fundamental ethics would have to be argued and reasoned in order to be recognized and accepted as generally valid. Eventual theological reflections would have to come at a much later date and separately, and would have to take into account that in our present societies the Christian Churches have long lost their monopoly. This ought not be problematic, however, as there clearly can be no conflict between faith and reason.

Our intention is to offer this page as a space for discussion and consultation with a twofold purpose: 1. Give anyone the opportunity to present problems and cases. We have connections to specialists at an international level and can consult them electronically. They have already demonstrated their practical support; and we can convene the Ethics Seminar at any time for urgent consultations. 2. In order to encourage free discussion, we offer the possibility to keep case presentations and consultations private: names and institutional affiliations will be withheld upon request.

The material you send us and the questions you ask will give us as theologians, anthropologists and sociolo-gists an important insight into the most varied real life situations without which our work would turn into pure abstract theory.

This space for discussion is designed to be bilingual: English and Spanish, and will function according to a simple rule: whoever writes to us will be answered in the language he wrote in. It is beyond our possibilities to translate the material we receive.

We would appreciate your participation – write us at humanismo.cristiano@uia.mx