The teachers who teach bioethics and are interested in bioethics can make a connection. Teachers can exchange information with each other, and exchange views. Teachers research the roles of bioethics in education in general. And conversely they also research the role of education in developing one of the objectives of bioethics, that of involving all citizens in social policy making, and making mature individuals. I would like to talk about one of the themes discussed in our meeting, on how humanity and science relate to illness.
Human beings are a type of animal that makes tools, as do chimpanzees.
Human beings like to modify the environment they live in. Human beings are conscious of themselves being alive, they can exercise much autonomy in moulding their own life and making plans for the future. Human beings also must suffer and be worried, and can never escape from disease. Buddha mentioned four sufferings, birth, aging, illness and death. Recently many people think that these sufferings do not have contact with daily life but exist only in hospital.