Ethics Archives

The Tuskegee Experiment: Let Poor Black Men Die of Syphilis?

Why did researchers let hundreds of men die of syphilis when they knew how to cure it? What brought all these poor Black men to the Tuskegee Institute? Are there lasting ethical considerations for research from the Tuskegee syphilis study? The Tuskegee experiment is a study from the 1930s that recruited hundreds of men with syphilis just to watch them die. Researchers wanted to understand how syphilis kills people. Find out more about the Tuskegee syphilis study, ethical issues, and the continued research presence of the Tuskegee Institute.

The Nuremberg Code of Ethics: Stopping Cruel Experimentation

What prompted the need for a code of ethics for medical research? What did the Nazi doctors do that resulted in death sentences for them? How does the Nuremberg Code help protect human research subjects? The Nuremberg Code of Ethics is a set of principles for human experimentation. The ten-point code was created by a US-led tribunal that tried Nazi doctors. Learn about the Nuremberg Code and violations of it in 1963.

John Moore’s Cells: A Biological Patent Without Permission

Can you get a biological patent on someone else’s cells? What happened to John Moore’s cells when Dr. David Golde took them? How did the court consider the issue of patenting of biological material? John Moore’s cells were involved in an important case on the patenting of biological material. Read more about his case, which involved the issue of awarding a biological patent and breach of fiduciary duty.

Elsie Lacks: Henrietta’s Daughter, Committed to a Hospital

Who was the daughter of Henrietta Lacks that died only a few years after her mother? Why was Elsie Lacks committed to the Hospital for Negro Insane? How was she treated at this facility with a record of experimentation and abuse? Elsie Lacks was the second child of Henrietta Lacks. She was diagnosed with “idiocy” and committed to the Hospital for Negro Insane. Elsie Lacks’ medical records show that she suffered abuse, experimentation, and mistreatment. Learn about the short and tragic life of Elsie Lacks, Crownsville and its atrocities, and how the records were found.

Did Edward Snowden Break the Law? Technically, Yes

Did Edward Snowden break the law when he used intelligence technology for unofficial purposes? Did Edward Snowden break the law when he took files out of the NSA? Did Edward Snowden break the law when he leaked documents to journalists? Edward Snowden broke US laws and was charged with a political crime. However, because he went to a non-extraditing country and got asylum, he is not in jail. Read more about Edward Snowden’s actions and their legal implications.

The Enron Collapse: 8 Reasons Why It Failed

What was the Enron collapse, and how did it happen? The Enron collapse of 2001 occurred when Enron, a company that had previously been wildly successful in the stock market, declared bankruptcy. The Enron collapse was due to a combination of unethical accounting practices, the failure of business watchdogs, and other factors. Keep reading to find out about the issues that contributed to the Enron collapse.

Tissue Ownership: When Your Body Stops Being Your Property

What happens to samples taken from your body? Are there human tissue rights that apply even once your tissue is out of your body? How are human tissue sales related to organ sales? “Organ sales” is a term that refers generally to the sale of any human organ, like a kidney. Selling organs is generally prohibited. Similarly, you usually can’t sell your own tissue, but tissue ownership ends when your tissue leaves your body. Learn about the intricacies of human tissue sales and how tissue rights and ownership change once your tissue has already been excised.

Five Examples of Medical Racism Throughout the 20th Century

How has systemic racism in medicine affected research during the 20th Century? What are some examples of medical racism? Is health care discrimination an ongoing issue? Medical racism is the race-motivated mistreatment or exploitation of people. Throughout the 20th Century, Black people have suffered from systemic racism in medicine. See five examples of medical racism, which occurred throughout the 20th Century.

Edward Snowden: Hacking Beginnings & Teen Rebellion

How did Edward Snowden start hacking? What skills did the hacker Snowden develop? What is hacker culture like? For Edward Snowden, hacking was a way to assert his independence. As a hacker, Snowden was very skilled. Learn more about Edward Snowden, hacking, and hacker culture.

Remuneration: Exploiting or Protecting Human Subjects?

What do clinical trial regulations say about paying research participants? How do researchers go about protecting human subjects? What bioethical issues arise from the remuneration of research subjects that donate tissues? Rules for protecting human subjects generally prohibit paying research participants to donate their tissues or other body parts. But there are some bioethical issues that arise from profiting from research without paying research participants. Learn more about the issues related to protecting human subjects.