Quel rôle pour la bioéthique face à la complexité des enjeux planétaires?

Abstract

This text offers some epistemological and methodological reflections in response to Antoine Boudreau LeBlanc’s text, which argues for a renewed bioethics capable of bridging science and politics in order to meet the major challenges currently facing humanity. This proposal seems necessary, given the paradox that arises from the fact that growing expertise and specialization do not always translate into solutions to the complex problems afflicting humanity. We need to reflect on the very nature of these problems and recognize that they are on a scale that goes beyond the individual. It is also necessary to consider the practical dimension of implementing the proposed solutions. The epistemic openness of bioethics seems to be an important asset in this respect. However, we may wonder whether the potential for hybridization between different types of knowledge defended by Boudreau LeBlanc risks being attenuated by the professionalization and centralization of mediation between them. Similarly, it is important to preserve the distinctive character of bioethics.