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- Unit of Functional Neurosurgery, UCL Institute of Neurology, and Department of Neurosurgery, National Hospital for Neurology and Neurosurgery, Queen Square, London, WC1N 3BG, UK
Correspondence Address:
Ludvic Zrinzo
Unit of Functional Neurosurgery, UCL Institute of Neurology, and Department of Neurosurgery, National Hospital for Neurology and Neurosurgery, Queen Square, London, WC1N 3BG, UK
DOI:10.4103/2152-7806.151609
Copyright: © 2015 Zrinzo L. This is an open-access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License, which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original author and source are credited.How to cite this article: Zrinzo L. Morality and ethics without religion. Surg Neurol Int 18-Feb-2015;6:28
How to cite this URL: Zrinzo L. Morality and ethics without religion. Surg Neurol Int 18-Feb-2015;6:28. Available from: http://sni.wpengine.com/surgicalint_articles/morality-and-ethics-without-religion/
Dear Sir,
Morality and ethics are exceedingly important aspects of neurosurgery and are the subject of a recent editorial in Surgical Neurology International.[
The editorial in question repeatedly suggests that morals are derived from religious principles. This is a common misconception. Indeed, amoral and unethical behavior is often supported by religion; historical and contemporary examples are support for slavery and oppression of women and homosexuals. Moreover, numerous secular, nonreligious individuals and organizations (such as Doctors Without Borders) display highly moral and ethical behavior without belief in a god/gods or religion. Personal religious bias has no role in scientific discourse, including the neurosurgical literature.
References
1. Einstein A. Religion and science. N Y Times Mag. 1930. p. 1-4
2. Faria MA. The road being paved to neuroethics: A path leading to bioethics or to neuroscience medical ethics?. Surg Neurol Int. 2014. 5: 146-
Carlo Paoletti
Posted July 23, 2015, 9:05 am
I fully, completely agree with Dr. Zrinzo. Millions and millions people have been killed because of religion. In 2015 religion shouldn’t exist anymore, thus leaving space to justice, law, culture, science, and brotherhood. By maintaining religion we are stuck with a dark past.
Dr. Miguel Faria
Posted August 19, 2015, 1:08 pm
Morality without religion[1] was given an infamous try, not only has it been exerted in that direction in the “liberal democracies” from the 19th through the 21st centuries,[2] but have been applied in the 20th century with the full power of the State in the inferno of Nazi Germany,[3] the “workers’ paradises” of the Soviet Union, Cambodia, and the People’s Republic of China[4]with 100 million casualties as a result. Will we ever learn?
References
1. Faria MA. Religious morality (and secular humanism) in Western civilization as precursors to medical ethics: A historic perspective. Surg Neurol Int 16-Jun-2015;6:105. Available from: http://surgicalneurologyint.com/surgicalint_articles/religious-morality-and-secular-humanism-in-western-civilization-as-precursors-to-medical-ethics-a-historic-perspective/
2. Blaylock RL. Collectivism, secular humanism, scientific positivism (scientism) and Centralized State Power: a Most Dangerous Admixture. Available at: http://haciendapub.com/articles/collectivism-secular-humanism-scientific-positivism-scientism-and-centralized-state-power-%E2%80%94
3. Faria MA. Euthanasia Medical Science and the Road to Genocide. Available from: http://www.haciendapub.com/medicalsentinel/euthanasia-medical-science-and-road-genocide
4. Faria MA. America guns and freedom. Available from: http://surgicalneurologyint.com/surgicalint_articles/america-guns-and-freedom-part-ii-an-international-perspective/