Cultural conflict， reconciliation， and pathway reflection on organ donation from the perspective of Confucian bioethics
10.12026/j.issn.1001-8565.2025.11.01
- VernacularTitle:儒家生命伦理视域下器官捐献的文化冲突、调和与路径反思
- Author:
Deyu YAN
1
Author Information
1. Advanced Institute for Confucian Studies， Shandong University， Jinan 250100， China
- Publication Type:Journal Article
- Keywords:
Confucian bioethics;
organ donation;
cultural conflict
- From:
Chinese Medical Ethics
2025;38(11):1379-1386
- CountryChina
- Language:Chinese
-
Abstract:
Confucian bioethics demonstrates a complex tension and potential in the cultural conflict and reconciliation of organ donation. While modern medical ethics takes autonomy and gratuitousness as core principles， Confucian bioethics is grounded in the values of family orientation， body integrity， and intergenerational responsibility. This ethical difference has triggered cultural conflicts， particularly manifested in the contradiction between voluntariness and family ethics， as well as the conflict between gratuitousness and the view of body integrity. Meanwhile， intrinsic values of Confucian ethics， such as “benevolence，” “filial piety，” and “sacrificing life for righteousness，” provide cultural support for organ donation and demonstrate its practical possibilities in terms of altruism， kinship responsibility， and ethical sublimation. However， the rigid interpretation of traditional ethics， the limitations of technological application， and the insufficiency of policy design have constrained the active role of Confucian ethics in organ donation. Through the modernization of traditional concepts， the deep integration of technology and culture， and the optimization of policies and social mechanisms， the reconciliation pathways of Confucian bioethics in organ donation have been clarified. This exploration not only addresses cultural conflicts but also provides a theoretical foundation for constructing localized ethical systems and advancing organ donation initiatives.
