Method, not intent, makes an experiment scientifically valid and ethically defensible. We would be wise not to forget Beecher's points. The present debate over revisions to the Declaration of Helsinki, however, suggests that we have. As we seek new treatments for illness, we cannot let the desire to stem tragic losses of human life poison collective reason and destroy social covenants. The values of science and the industries that profit from the realizable promises of science cannot trump all other considerations in the arena of human experimentation.
Human rights are more basic than derived knowledge.
Vincent J. Kopp, M.D. University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill Chapel Hill, NC 27599-7010 References 1 . Lewis S. Arrowsmith. Harcourt, Brace, 1925. Return to Text 2 . Ethics and clinical research.