In 1997, thanks to a conference paper by Rolf Löther of Berlin Humboldt University, the name of Fritz Jahr (1895-1953) was mentioned for the first time as the creator of the term and concept of bioethics (Bio-Ethik). As yet, Hans-Martin Sass of the Kennedy Institute of Ethics has been the only one to analyze Jahr's ideas more thoroughly, dedicating to the subject a series of papers (see Sass 2007). In December 2010, a collection of 15 papers by Jahr was published (...) in the German original, while in May 2011, a selection of 16 papers appeared in English translation (Jahr 2011).So who, in fact, was Jahr? A humble teacher and curate who never left his home city of Halle, an old university center on the Saale River in .. (shrink)

Background In 1926, Fritz Jahr described bio-ethics (German: bio-ethik) as “the assumption of moral obligations not only towards humans, but towards all forms of life.” Jahr summarized his philosophy by declaring, “Respect every living being on principle as an end in itself and treat it, if possible, as such!.” Bioethics was thus originally an ethical system concerned with the “problems of interference with other living beings… and generally everything related to the balance of the ecosystem” according to the 1978 Encyclopedia (...) of Bioethics. This definition was predicated on the work of Fritz Jahr, Menico Torchio, and Van Rensselaer Potter. Methods In order to proceed with depthful analysis of the origin and major bioethical flare up, we will use critical analysis of existing literature, followed by a study trip to relevant bioethical localities (collecting photo and other documentations regarding Menico Torchio). Results While Jahr and Potter are typically given intellectual credit for developing the field of bioethics, the eco-ethical contributions of Menico Torchio have been forgotten.This article will first trace the origins of “bioethics” – now commonly bifurcated into “biomedical ethics” and “environmental bioethics.” The former was developed by Tom Beauchamp from the Philosophy Department and James Childress of the Religious Studies department at Georgetown University and is based on principlism, with a narrow focus on medical settings. The latter addresses the environmental impact of the medical industry and climate change health hazards. Second, we will present a panorama of Torchio’s significant intellectual contribution to bioethics. Menico Torchio’s concept of bioethics synthesized work of both Jahr and Potter, advocating “the need to expand our ethical obligations and embrace the most developed groups of animals, not only physically but also psychologically.” Third, we will reflect on the lasting legacy of “bioethics” on biomedical and environmental bioethics today. Thematic elements such as interconnectedness of planetary health and human health, dedication to living in harmony with nature, and emphasis on systems and symbiosis remain unchanged from the legacy of Tochio onward. Conclusion Our conclusion will underscore the necessity of understanding the connections between planetary, environmental, and human health. (shrink)

The book includes all 15 long forgotten articles on bioethics and ethics written by Jahr from 1927 to 1947 in English translation. (Series: Practical Ethics / Ethik in der Praxis - Studies / Studien - Vol. 37).

U članku su predstavljeni osnovni podaci o životu Fritza Jahra , njemačkog učitelja i teologa koji je po prvi put u povijesti, u članku iz 1927., koristio termin ‘bio-etika’ i predložio koncept nove discipline temeljene na »bioetičkom imperativu« – reviziji Kantova kategoričkog imperativa, proširenog na životinje i biljke. Iako su doduše neki podaci o Jahrovim publikacijama već poznati , Jahrova biografska pozadina je još uvijek potpuno neistražena. Ovaj rad ukratko istražuje i kronologiju otkrića Jahrovog djela , pomičući datum i mjesto (...) zasnivanja bioetike za otprilike pola stoljeća unatrag i s jednog kontinenta na drugi. (shrink)

Das Paper präsentiert die Grunddaten über die Laufbahn Fritz Jahrs , des deutschen Lehrers und Theologen, welcher sich erstmalig in der Geschichte, in einem Artikel aus dem Jahre 1927, des Fachbegriffs ,Bio-Ethik‘ bedient sowie das Konzept einer neuen, auf dem „bioethischen Imperativ“ ruhenden Disziplin unterbreitet hat – die Revision des kantischen kategorischen Imperativs, ausgedehnt auf Tiere und Pflanzen. Während einige Angaben über die Publikationen von Fritz Jahr allerdings bekannt sind , blieb wiederum Jahrs biografischer Hintergrund bislang rundherum unerforscht. Zudem durchforstet (...) das vorliegende Referat kurz und bündig die Entdeckungschronologie von Jahrs OEuvre gegen 1997, indem es das Datum sowie den Ort der Bioethik-Konzeption um etwa ein halbes Jahrhundert rückwärts und von einem Kontinent zum anderen verlegt. (shrink)

The paper presents the basic data about the life of Fritz Jahr , the German teacher and theologian who, for the first time in history, in an article from 1927, used the term ‘bio-ethics’ and proposed a concept of a new discipline based upon the “bioethical imperative” – a revision of the Kantian categorical imperative, extended onto animals and plants. While some data, however, about the publications by Fritz Jahr have been known , the biographical background of Jahr was completely (...) unexplored as yet. The present paper briefly investigates also the chronology of the discovery of Jahr’s work in about 1997, shifting the date and the location of the conception of bioethics for about half a century back and from one continent to the other. (shrink)

L’article présente les informations essentielles sur la vie de Fritz Jahr , enseignant et théologien allemand, qui a été le premier dans l’histoire à utiliser, dans un article de 1927, le terme « bioéthique » et qui a proposé le concept d’une nouvelle discipline fondée sur l’ « impératif bioéthique », une révision de l’impératif catégorique de Kant élargi aux animaux et aux plantes. Si quelques informations sur les publications de Fritz Jahr sont déjà connues – 18 articles ont été (...) identifiés jusqu’à présent – le contexte biographique demeure complètement inexploré. Également, cette étude examine brièvement la chronologie de la découverte de l’oeuvre de Jahr , déplaçant la date et l’endroit de la fondation de la bioéthique à environ un demisiècle plus tôt et d’un continent à un autre. (shrink)

A little bit more than twenty years ago, the attention of bioethics community was attracted by the discovery of the work of Fritz Jahr (1895-1953), a theologian and teacher from Halle (Germany), who had conceived both the term and the discipline of bioethics (Bio-Ethik, 1926) by broadening Kant’s categorical imperative onto animals and plants. Today, dozens of papers deal with Jahr’s bioethics ideas, but his work related to other topics remains almost unknown. In the present paper, we address Jahr’s article (...) from 1930, devoted to education ("Gesinnungsdiktatur oder Gedenkfreiheit? Gedanken über eine liberale Gestaltung des Gesinnungsunterrichts" [Dictatorship of worldview or freedom of thought? Considerations on the liberal structuring of teaching of attitudes]). In the article, published in Die neue Erziehung, Jahr advocates a set of ten quite progressive and free-minded principles, including objectivity, pluriperspectivism (verschiedene Gesinnungseinstellungen), tollerant dialogue, autonomy, rationalism, liberalism, and democratization of education system and of the development of worldview at school. We devote particular attention to the comparison of Jahr’s ideas to the doctrine of Pietism and August Hermann Francke, who established the Foundation in which Jahr spent a significant part of his life, first as a student, and later as a teacher. (shrink)

Mindful of how the history of bioethics has often been presented, we explore the background, contributions, and influence of Van Rensselaer Potter on the roots of bioethics. In the last few decades, dozens of papers have been written and published, including several doctoral theses and defenses on V. R. Potter‘s concept of bioethics. In those works, the context of the emergence of Potter’s bioethics has sometimes been suggested, but never analyzed thoroughly. We identify seven pillars of influence for Van Rensselaer (...) Potter’s bioethical credo, drawing on several facts from the rich cultural heritage of Wisconsin, where Potter had lived and worked for the most part of his life. (shrink)