Towards ethically sound life sciences

In this collection of papers we have intensively discussed the new, and often uncertain impacts of these sciences and their connected technologies, as well their wider (global) impact. It has become clear that many ethical issues are not only triggered by possible misconduct in the treatment of animals or humans, but also by these uncertain and wider impacts. So, the ethical chapters do not concentrate on wrongdoings of scientists at all, but on the identification of possible harm and disturbances in society that at least are influenced, and in many cases even directly determined, by these sciences. For example, genetic information can play a part in disturbing the traditional privacy regulations or in challenging patients and consumers to take their future into account (e.g., in the case of information on vulnerability to cardiovascular diseases). After the systematic and concentrated effort on separate issues, it is now time to look at it from a more distant point of view. First, let us look at the tasks of ethics of the life sciences, secondly, at its role in the broader field of ethics and in that of philosophy in general, and thirdly, at its role in society. I will take this step of reflection by first summarizing the main issues of this collection of studies, then sketch some wider relations of ethics of the life sciences and pose some future questions and challenge