An ethos of vulnerability: a kindom perspective on the princile of respect for vulnerability within the UNESCO declaration on Bioethics and Human Rights

Abstract

The Universal Declaration of Bioethics and Human Rights (UDBHR) by UNESCO regards respect for vulnerability (article 8) as a new independent bioethical right and obligation of all communities. On the one hand, vulnerability is a general characteristic of the human condition. It expresses the fragility and finitude of human existence and is therefore a feature shared by all human beings. On the other hand, vulnerability refers to the fact that some people are more vulnerable than others, due to natural or social conditions such as disease or poverty. It expresses the normative requirement that these vulnerable fellow human beings need special care. More is needed than noninterference; they should receive assistance that will enable them to realize their potential as human beings. From a Protestant perspective, respect for vulnerability, as set out in article 8 of the UDBHR, can be accepted as a principle of kingdom ethics. Therefore, the church and society at large can also encourage their members to exercise the ethics of vulnerability.