Variety of Bioethics in Croatia: a Historical Sketch and a Critical Touch

The paper tries to elucidate the circumstances and major milestones in the developmental path of bioethics in Croatia, departing from the first mention of the term “bioethics” in 1985 until the present day. Listed are and critically addressed the major book series devoted to bioethical and/or medical-ethical topics, journals, editors, authors, and institutions. The overview groups Croatian bioethicians in accordance with their professional and/or intellectual background (theologians, physicians, philosophers, sociologists, lawyers, etc.). One of the most intriguing results of the paper has been the revealed variety of perspectives and approaches to bioethics in Croatia, some of them being recognised even at European and global level. It is the authors opinion that this variety might primarily be ascribed to the enthusiasm of two pioneers of bioethics in Croatia – Ivan Šegota (1938-2011) and Ante Čović