Interdepartmental Master's Degree in Bioethics at the Aristotle University of Thessaloniki.

“No, but the twofold virtue, the intellectual and the moral”

"Since, then, virtue is of two kinds, intellectual and moral, the former being intellectual for the most part and basing its origin and growth on teaching, that is why it needs experience and time; and morality has its origins in addiction, from which it took and its name which differs slightly from the ethos  the habit. ... Virtues, then, are not born within us, neither according to nature nor contrary to it, but we are born with the ability to accept them and perfect ourselves in them with addiction"

The impetus for the development of ethical thought given by Aristotle, the father of ethical science, as early as the in the 4th century BC, it seems to have an impact to this day on the mind and soul of a group of students, mainly from the Law and Medical Schools of the Aristotle University of Thessaloniki, to continue their studies in the subject of ethics and in particular bioethics.

 The past academic year marked the completion of the 1st year of studies in the interdepartmental postgraduate program (DMPS) "CONTEMPORARY MEDICAL PRACTICES: LEGAL REGULATION AND BIOETHICAL DIMENSION" organized in collaboration with the Faculties of Medicine and Dentistry and the Departments of Law and Theology of the Aristotle University of Thessaloniki, with director Mr. Vasilios Tarlatzis, Professor of Obstetrics - Gynecology and Human Reproduction. The writer, as a graduate of the Law School of the Aristotle University of Thessaloniki and an active lawyer, also attended this program. The duration of the program is three semesters of attendance and one semester of preparation of a thesis. The Postgraduate Diploma in Philosophy and Philosophy of Medicine and Dentistry is open to graduates of the Faculties of Medicine and Dentistry and the Departments of Law and Theology of domestic universities and of equivalent recognized Departments and Faculties abroad, as well as: a) graduates of humanities and social sciences of domestic universities and of equivalent recognized university institutions abroad and b) graduates of natural and technological sciences of domestic universities and of equivalent recognized university institutions abroad. This diversity of potential students is indicative of the variety of knowledge offered by the aforementioned postgraduate program.

In a country like today's Greece, where every degree is sacrificed on the altar of professional development and valuable knowledge has been dethroned by economic expediency, a postgraduate course that delve into the ethics of modern medical-biological achievements seems like an oasis in the desert of mundane everyday life. A hopeful meeting of what has occupied me as a person and as a scientist throughout my life: issues related to religiosity, psychology, law and medical science and ultimately life as it really is. The postgraduate student is confronted with socio-ethical problems, personal but also objectively existing fears and prejudices on both sides from the aspects of modern science and theology. Issues such as modern biotechnological applications, the ethical and legal rules of the medical profession as well as their psychological dimension, the communication skills of medical professionals, the social ethics of biotechnology, medical negligence in an interdisciplinary, always, approach, the issues of the beginning and end of human life and other related issues, bring everyone face to face with both society, seen from a clearly expanded perspective, and with themselves. How does public opinion around the world perceive these aspects of life? How do the State and the Church react in Greece and worldwide? What role have they played in the course of history and what is the role that is appropriate for them for the future? How negotiable are values ​​in the end and how are they placed on scales?

Burning topics such as clinical studies on embryos and humans, medically assisted reproduction, transplants, the issue of brain death and euthanasia are an everyday occurrence in every corner of the planet that is sometimes dealt with without the required diligence and certainly causes major ethical dilemmas, especially among religious citizens.

The presence of representatives of the Church, the School of Theology of the Aristotle University of Thessaloniki and the Supreme Ecclesiastical Academy of Thessaloniki who honored us with their presence and lectures during the two semesters of the postgraduate program, as well as the personal concerns and interests of many of us, motivated us to learn for the first time the positions of the Church of Greece on most of the aforementioned issues. The Church of Greece is particularly sensitive to the issues of bioethics and since 1998 a Special Synodal Committee on Bioethics has been established and is operating, chaired by His Eminence Metropolitan of Mesogaia and Lavreotiki, Mr. Nikolaos, which recognizes the dimension and variety of opinions that exist among those scientists who deal with bioethics, whether they come from the environment of theoretical and humanistic studies or from the environment of medicine and biology.

For example, the Holy Synod of the Church of Greece, the first among the Orthodox Churches, took an official position on the issue of transplants during the session of the Hierarchy of the Church of Greece on October 7, 1999. The Church, it is emphasized, "sees transplants only on the basis of overcoming individualism and pro-life sentiment with love, solidarity and/or the cultivation of a self-sacrificing spirit. The protection of the donor, whom it surrounds with particular sensitivity both as a person and as a concept, and which is expressed in respect for his freedom and honor for his person and his last moments, takes precedence in the Orthodox ecclesiastical conscience and weighs more heavily as a value than the extension of the biological life of the recipient.».

Regarding the issue of brain death, there is no analytical theological interpretation that would identify the widely accepted – as we learned from relevant lectures by doctors and other scientists – brain death with the separation of soul and body. In reality, this is avoided. Nevertheless, the official text emphasizes that the Church of Greece “although it is not competent, it could accept the internationally unanimous view that brain death is identical to the irreversible biological end of a person» This formulation implies that on the one hand, the Church does not dogmatize on the issue of brain death, since it is not competent for such a thing, and on the other hand, it stands with respect and a positive attitude towards the unanimous medical opinion, but not with unreserved identification (this is what potential time means).

Furthermore, it rejects the taking of organs from brainless infants, the commercialization of transplants and presumed consent (anyone who has not explicitly stated their objection while alive will be presumed to be an organ donor), while accepting relative consent under conditions and by way of economy. The explicit consent of the donor on the one hand and the expression of the utmost respect for the last moments of the person – whether or not he is a donor – are non-negotiable conditions for the acceptance of transplants by the Church of Greece. However, this respect for the last moments of the person and the way in which it is best expressed, admits of various interpretations.

The Orthodox theological approach to assisted reproduction (IVF), in short, treats childlessness, as well as the adoption of needy children, as divine will ("thy will be done"). However, in the context of the pastoral treatment of the whole issue, the view that could be put forward is that the homologous in vitro fertilization (using the couple's genetic material), with the basic condition of due respect for embryos is, in principle, acceptable. The Fathers of the Church affirm, moreover, that God sometimes does not accept and does not fulfill some requests, because this imposes the real interest of the requester. This may be a strict approach that does not effectively address the problems of human reproduction. Of course, in order for someone to draw a safe conclusion about the positions of the Church, a deep and broad study of both its theology and its anthropology and pastoral practice is needed.

            All of us, sooner or later, will be called upon to confront one or more of the aforementioned issues. With these problematic, their extensions and other "unexplored", I chose to deal with these two years of the interdisciplinary postgraduate program "CONTEMPORARY MEDICAL PRACTICES: LEGAL REGULATION AND BIOETHICAL DIMENSION" considering that, beyond any professional prospects, new horizons are thus opened in the journey of completion of all that we participate in as human beings.

Zissiou Ioanna

lawyer - postgraduate student