Startsida
Anders Nordgren
Professor of Bioethics
Director
Centre for Applied Ethics
Linköping University
PhD in Philosophy of Religion, Uppsala University, 1994. Research Scholar at the Medical Faculty, Uppsala University, 1994-2003. Director of Centre for Research Ethics (Forskningsetiskt Forum) at Uppsala University and Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences 1995-1998. Visiting Scholar at Center for Biomedical Ethics, Case Western Reserve University, Cleveland OH, USA, 1997. Associate Professor (docent) of Ethics, Uppsala University, 2001. Associate Professor (universitetslektor) of Applied Ethics at Centre for Applied Ethics, Linköping University, 2003. Professor of Bioethics, 2004. Director, 2007.
- Member of European Society for Philosophy of Medicine and Health Care (ESPMH), 1999.
- Member of International Association of Bioethics (IAB), 2000.
- Member of European Society for Agricultural and Food Ethics (EURSAFE), 2012
- Member (ersättare) of the Regional Ethical Vetting Board in Linköping (Regionala etikprövningsnämnden), 2007.
- Member of the Ethics Board of the County Council of Östergötland (Landstingets etiska råd), 2007-2011.
- Member of the Editorial Board of the Journal of Agricultural and Environmental Ethics (Springer), 2007.
- Member (ersättare) of the Swedish Gene Technology Board, 2010.
Bioethics can be defined as the study of ethical problems raised by the life sciences. The problems may concern research as well as practical application. Important areas are biomedical ethics, clinical ethics, biotechnology ethics, animal ethics and environmental ethics. Bioethics includes studies at different levels of abstraction: concrete ethical problems as well as ethical theory and issues regarding human nature. The methods may be empirical, analytic, systematic, critical or constructive.
In my research, I have focused primarily on seven fields. The first concerns the impact of evolutionary theory and genetics on the view of human nature. In my PhD thesis, I analyzed philosophical implications of two different types of theories in modern evolutionary biology: neo-Darwinian theories stressing natural selection and dynamic systems theories stressing self-organization in addition to natural selection. I have also studied metaphors used in behavioral genetics to describe the influence of genes on complex human behavior.
My second field of interest is the ethics of medical genetics. I have investigated ethical issues raised by human genome research, genetic testing, genetic counseling, and gene therapy. In particular, I have discussed the responsibility of the scientific community for the applications and consequences of genetic research. I have also studied issues of identity related to genetics and the web-rhetoric of companies offering DNA testing via the Internet direct-to-consumer.
The third field is ethical issues rasied by assisted reproductive technologies. I have investigated ethical problems in reproductive counseling and in human reproductive cloning.
The fourth field is animal ethics, in particular the ethics of animal experimentation. In one study, we analyzed applications submitted to ethics committees on animal experimentation in Sweden regarding the production and use of genetically modified animals. In another project I investigated the ethical implications of various conceptions of animal welfare.
The fifth field is climate ethics. Presently, I am working on a project on meat production and climate change funded by the Swedish Research Council.
The sixth field is research ethics. I am currently conducting a project on the participation of children in medical research funded by the Swedish Research Council.
My seventh and most recent field of interest is personal health monitoring. Here I participate in a project funded by the European Commission (FP7) and New Tools for Health (Hälsans nya verktyg).
In ethical theory, I have developed a view that I call 'imaginative casuistry'. Starting from empirical findings regarding moral concept-formation, I stress the role of moral imagination, metaphor, plurality of values, and case-by-case decision-making.
If you are interested in research collaboration or have any questions, please do not hesitate to contact me at email address: anders.nordgren@liu.se.
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Last updated: Thu Sep 27 11:09:10 CEST 2012
