Abstract

This article treats of the debate on the shape of Christian Bioethics. The starting-point is the sketching of the two concepts of Bioethics. The first one was presented by H. T. Engelhardt. Another one is the project of The National Catholic Bioethical Center from Boston. Both of the proposals have been analysed from the standpoint of the philosophical rationality, which is presupposed in each of them. This allows to capture their basic characteristics. Engelhardt proposes the hermeneutic concept of Bioethics whereas the thinkers from Boston declare for the ontological Bioethics. Confrontation of these two projects enables it to point at the ontological one as a more proper concept. It allows better to interpret the human life from the whole perspective of the good and truth of the human existence. However, the hermeneutic Bioethics can be used as an interpretative method, which would help to capture these essential values.