Three Kinds of Humility in Bioethics Certification

The author's skepticism about certifying bioethicists has a 20-year history. The hazards of certification include doubts about whether an online, multiple-choice exam measures what is important in bioethical deliberation. Other worries include the potential neglect of informal reasoning process...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Perspectives in biology and medicine 2020, Vol.63 (3), p.420-428
Main Author: Churchill, Larry R
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Bioethics
Certification
Consultants
Epistemology
Ethics
Ignorance
Multiple choice
Skills
Spina bifida
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Summary:The author's skepticism about certifying bioethicists has a 20-year history. The hazards of certification include doubts about whether an online, multiple-choice exam measures what is important in bioethical deliberation. Other worries include the potential neglect of informal reasoning processes used by patients and families, the creation of a false sense of expertise, and how certification can disenfranchise lay members of ethics committees. This essay does not seek to reverse the growing trend toward certification but urges humility both in the process of certification and in interpreting the results. Humility is here defined through the works of Judith Andre and Jack Coulehan. Three kinds of humility are described as important for bioethics work: epistemic, moral, and ontological. The current qualifications for taking the certification exam are discussed, and suggestions for a better approach are offered.
ISSN:0031-5982
1529-8795
1529-8795
DOI:10.1353/pbm.2020.0030