Starting in the 15th to 17th centuries, the idea that people should act and interfere with what was created by nature became more popular in accordance with scientific viewpoints. Western medicine is home to a Hippocratic ethos which can be seen in the works of doctors, philosophers and public figures, the discussion of human rights adds an important perspective to the healthcare field. Human rights in healthcare capture themes such as fairness in distribution, observance of medical confidentiality and respect for the patient’s dignity – issues that are important for all countries. Healing itself is beginning to be understood as an activity in the course of which the benefit of individuals and society as a whole is created. Medical ethics includes a new moral principle formulated by the great Paracelsus – that medicines should act not only on the symptom, but also on its origin – and therefore includes a new obligation to cultivate health.

A great German doctor, known by his pseudonym in the profession, made a significant contribution to the development of medical ethics. The figure Paracelsus is a pseudonym which was created with the merging of two words: “para” (similar) and the name of an ancient Roman. He enters the history of medical ethics as the creator of a new moral principle of medical activity, supplementing the Hippocratic principle “do no harm” with “do good” in order to promote a noble profession.

The idea of ​​the need for vigorous activity aimed at creating good was the result of his entire religious and philosophical concept, the main component of which was ethical views on the essence of man in their relationship with medical problems. His ideas merge religious, philosophical and ethical reflections with the experience a natural scientist and practical experiences of healing.

In Paracelsian philosophy, healing is an organized implementation of the idea that man & the cosmos are inextricably linked. Much like ancient philosophers, Paracelsus believed that healing involves a unity between what’s going on in the environment and your person.

Christian ideas of mercy and love of neighbor continue to be the fundamental moral principles for medicine. In 1617, Vincent Paul started a commune called Sisters of Mercy in France to better reflect these principles. St. Francis was always merciful to others and was known for his support of the poor, sick, and needy. One example of his overflowing mercy is when he wrote the charter of this community – “mercy to the neighbor is the surest sign of a Christian.” V. Paul was the first to propose phrases such as ‘sister of mercy’ and ‘elder sister’ for the act of caring for others and supporting them spiritually.

Members of this society visited the sick and tried teach them how to be healthier. Along with their visits, they also discussed religious topics and read books to the patient. They made a point of giving instructions for better living and for a more dignified death as well. Louise de Marillac was head of the society from 1633 to 1641, and through her work became convinced that caring for the sick requires a thorough theoretical training. She founded a school to give sisters this knowledge quickly, in 1641.

Compassion and Mercy should be the norm of Christian morality. All around the world, sisters help with everything from healthcare to orphanages and provide support for victims of war as well. Napoleon, during his military campaigns, turned to the ministers of the church with a request for help in caring for the wounded. During battles, nuns provided care to wounded soldiers. One nurse in particular was Sister Marta, who was known among the Napoleonic soldiers

Mercy sisters can be found all over the world but were officially established in 1808 in Germany, 1821 in Italy, 1834 in Austria and 1837 in the Czech Republic. One hundred years later (1884) there were 56 communities of sisters of mercy worldwide.

Over the past two centuries, a number of ethical and philosophic concepts have been introduced that had an impact on the evolution of medical ethics, especially with the advent of biomedical ethics and bioethics.

The founder of this ethical philosophy was an 18th century philosopher, jurist, and public figure named Jerome Bentham. Utilitarianism is an ethical theory based on the basis of utility, where it’s centers morality in utility, and would be a useful way to measure morality in any human action, it is important to measure whether a certain action benefits an individual, a group or both. This way, we can determine whether the action should be encouraged or condemned. Jeremy Bentham would argue that the “greatest happiness principle” should be the starting point for any law or public institution. This principle states that all laws and activities in society should ask what will make their greatest number of people happiest- and not just a select few. 

The idea of “reverence for life” appeared in the 19th-20th centuries and is still present today. The true creator of this way of thinking was Albert Schweitzer.

According to A. Schweitzer, life is the most important and absolute value in regards to morality. He saw morality as a reverence for life in all its forms.

Schweitzer believed that reverence for life should be expressed in active mercy and compassion. He felt that this should take the form of service to humanity, which is both active and unambiguous. He believed that the provision of medical care to the patient, saving his life, is an unequivocal good.

Schweitzer’s ideas are becoming increasingly important in bioethics. They provide ways to solve difficult bioethical problems and see which ones are the most humane.

In the beginning of the 20th century, biomedical sciences emerged and new medical technologies were developed. Those included methods of anesthesia, antibiotics and other ways to stop infections, technology has opened up great possibilities for the active manipulation of human life. There’s a time and a place for interventions – this is the time to put the idea of targeted intervention into practice in both pathological ailment and corrections to normal human life. The scope is deep and wide, affecting biological, social and even mental levels. There has been a lot of talk about how to improve the human race. From biomedical and more, it seems like some people feel like we can do more with the help of technology.

For centuries, traditions dating back to Hippocrates have been preserved in the field of medical ethics. Along with the rise of medical research in Genetics, people are now beginning to understand the need for changes in the way people are modified. You can now go beyond modifying your organs and tissues to also modify DNA. The idea of human modification and selectively choosing the best people in society to create a new race with desirable traits has been around for a really long time, probably most notably as eugenics.

The twentieth century has been a time of great advancements in the field of medical ethics and technology. People have had their ideas about modifying human beings in order to create a better future come to fruition. Biomedical technologies can cause a lot of harm, and the more we use them, the higher those risks are. This is why it’s so important to ask the right questions before making decisions about the use of such technologies. One of the most famous examples of this is euthanasia in Nazi Germany, for example. Similarly, research done on people violates basic medical ethics and has been extensively used as a political weapon all over the world.

As the 20th century drew to a close and the 21st began, violence throughout society and the option of destroying human life came to prominence, related to the recognition of the absolute value of human life and the importance of caring for their environment. In the 1970s, a new form of medical ethics called bioethics began to emerge.