At the origins of bioethics: from Potter's bioethical creed to Fritz Jahr's bioethical imperative

Abstract

This article presents the historical origins of bioethics from the work of Van Rensselaer Potter and Fritz Jahr who coined into two distinct moments the expression Bioethics. This article displays the brief history of the latter author and analyzes the concept of bioethics formulation for each of them, considering their impact in the context of today's environmental debates. At the end concludes by emphasizing the importance of deepening bioethical reflection as proposed by these authors, especially considering the points of intersection of their theoretical proposals that could prove crucial to the understanding of a new ecological paradigm.