The problem of the philosophical foundation of bioethics and the bioethical thoughts of H. Tristram Engelhardt, Jr.

H. T. Engelhatdt, Jr. (1941 – 2018) through philosophical meditation and analysis, deconstructed cosmic as well as western Christian bioethics and he detected the Truth, which sought in order to escape from the boundaries of temporality in Christianity of its first ten centuries, and which «live on» up to nowadays in Orthodox Church. This way he escaped of his containment into a variety of ethical and bioethical considerations and concluded as to found bioethics to a thoroughly theistic system. This fact offers confessional character to his works, something that should not be considered at all as paradox, since after his change from Roman Catholic to Orthodox Christian he judged that it was his duty as a scientist to examine from scratch all he had accomplished up to that moment, an action that led him to consider the bioethical matters from a completely different point of view. By the courageous attempt of Texan philosopher, it is concluded that not only does an official consistent view not exist within the Orthodox Church, but sometimes even deviations appear when facing bioproblems. In connection with Engelhardt's view, this «variety» could even possibly lead to failure of Orthodox bioethics, given that bioethical matters trespass the definite limits of sovereign Churches, a fact that requires speculation on their disposition on a local level. For this reason the Ecumenical Patriarchate proceeded to the establishment of the Interorthodox Bioethics Committee, which must proceed to offer specific suggestions to the next (expected) Holy and Great Council, the decisions of which will form the sole true expression of the Orthodox Church on bioethical matters, in order purely Orthodox Bioethics to be configured, free of Roman Catholic and Protestant elements. Bioethical matters, also, are able to bring the Christian Churches and Confessions closer, so honest dialogue between them would certainly be a pleasant surprise. Due to the above, Orthodox Church should essentially proceed to the establishment of the Interchristian Bioethics Committee. Based to the fact that Ethics and Bioethics are both in their «after God» age, the establishment of an Interreligious Bioethics Committee should be most promising.Ὁ H. T. Engelhardt, Jr. μέσα ἀπὸ τὸν φιλοσoφικὸ στοχασμὸ καὶ τὴν ἀνάλυση αποδόμησε τόσο τὴν κοσμική, ὅσο καὶ τὴ δυτικὴ χριστιανικὴ βιοηθικὴ καὶ ἐντόπισε τὴν Ἀλήθεια, τὴν ὁποία ἀναζητοῦσε γιὰ νὰ ξεφύγει ἀπὸ τὰ ὅρια τῆς εγκοσμιότητας στὴν χριστιανοσύνη τῶν δέκα πρώτων αἰώνων, ἡ ὁποία «ζεῖ» σήμερα στὴν Ὀρθόδοξη Ἐκκλησία. Μὲ τὸν τρόπο αὐτὸ ξέφυγε ἀπὸ τὸν ἐγκλωβισμὸ του σὲ μία ποικιλία ἠθικῶν καὶ βιοηθικῶν θεωρήσεων καὶ κατέληξε νὰ θεμελιώσει τὴ βιοηθικὴ σὲ ἕνα πλήρως θεϊστικὸ σύστημα. Τὸ γεγονὸς αὐτὸ προσδίδει στὰ ἔργα του ὁμολογιακὸ χαρακτῆρα, κάτι ποὺ δὲν πρέπει νὰ θεωρηθεῖ καθόλου παράδοξο, καθὼς μετὰ τὴ μεταστροφὴ του ἀπὸ Ρωμαιοκαθολικὸ σὲ Ὀρθόδοξο Χριστιανὸ ἔκρινε ὅτι εἶχε καθῆκον ὡς ἐπιστήμονας νὰ ἐξετάσει ὅλα ὅσα εἶχε πραγματοποιήσει μέχρι ἐκείνη τὴ στιγμὴ ἀπὸ μηδενικὴ βάση, γεγονὸς ποὺ τὸν ὁδήγησε στὴ θεώρηση τῶν βιοηθικῶν θεμάτων ἀπὸ μία ἐντελῶς νέα ὀπτική. Ἐφορμῶντας ἀπὸ τὴ θαρραλέα προσπάθεια τοῦ Τεξανοῦ φιλοσόφου διαπιστώθηκε ὅτι ἐντὸς τῆς Ὀρθοδόξου Ἐκκλησίας ὄχι μόνο δὲν ὑπάρχει ἐπίσημη ἑνιαία τοποθέτηση, ἀλλὰ ὁρισμένες φορὲς ὑφίστανται καὶ ἀποκλίσεις στὴν ἀντιμετώπιση τῶν βιοπροβλημάτων. Σὲ συνάρτηση μὲ τὸ συλλογισμὸ τοῦ Engelhardt αὐτὴ ἡ «ποικιλία» εἶναι δυνατὸν νὰ ὁδηγήσει καὶ στὴν ἀποτυχία τῆς Ὀρθόδοξης βιοηθικῆς, δεδομένου ὅτι τὰ βιοηθικὰ ζητήματα διαπερνοῦν τὰ καθορισμένα ὅρια τῶν αὐτοκεφάλων Ἐκκλησιῶν, γεγονὸς τὸ ὁποῖο ἐγείρει προβληματικὴ σχετικὰ μὲ τὴ διευθέτησή τους σὲ τοπικὸ ἐπίπεδο. Γιὰ τὸν λόγο αὐτὸ τὸ Οἰκουμενικὸ Πατριαρχεῖο προέβη στὴ σύσταση τῆς Διορθοδόξου Ἐπιτροπῆς Βιοηθικῆς, ἡ ὁποία ἐπιβάλλεται νὰ προβεῖ σὲ συγκεκριμένες προτάσεις πρὸς τὴν ἑπόμενη [ἀναμενόμενη] Ἁγία καὶ Μεγάλη Σύνοδο, οἱ ἀποφάσεις τῆς ὁποίας θὰ ἀποτελοῦν τὴν μοναδικὴ ἀληθῆ ἔκφραση τῆς Ὀρθοδόξου Ἐκκλησίας ἐπὶ τῶν βιοηθικῶν ζητημάτων, ὥστε νὰ διαμορφωθεῖ μία ἀμιγῶς Ὀρθόδοξη Βιοηθική, ἀπαλλαγμένη ἀπὸ Ρωμαιοκαθολικὰ καὶ Προτεσταντικὰ στοιχεῖα. Τὰ βιοηθικὰ ζητήματα, ἐπίσης, δύνανται νὰ φέρουν τὶς χριστιανικὲς Ἐκκλησίες καὶ Ὁμολογίες πιὸ κοντά, γι’ αὐτὸ ὁ εἰλικρινὴς διάλογος ἀνάμεσὰ τους εἶναι βέβαιο πῶς θὰ ἐξέπληττε εὐχάριστα. Ὡς ἐκ τούτου, ἡ Ὀρθόδοξη Ἐκκλησία εἶναι ἀπαραίτητο νὰ προχωρήσει στὴ σύσταση Διαχριστιανικῆς Ἐπιτροπῆς Βιοηθικῆς. Μὲ δεδομένο, ἀκόμη, ὅτι ἡ Ἠθικὴ καὶ Βιοηθικὴ βρίσκονται στὴν μετὰ Θεὸν ἐποχὴ τους ἡ σύσταση μίας Διαθρησκειακῆς Ἐπιτροπῆς Βιοηθικῆς θὰ ἦταν πολλὰ ὑποσχόμενη