The Bioconservative Stance within Bioethics

Abstract

Bioconservatism rose to prominence in bioethics at the turn of the millennium but has since declined in influence, particularly in Anglo-American academic and policy contexts. Critics argue that it relies excessively on intuition, emotion, and vague concepts such as dignity, and therefore lacks rational justification for opposing novel biotechnologies. This paper reassesses that critique. While some forms of bioconservatism remain vulnerable to these objections, it argues that an under-examined ‘social’ strand is methodologically robust and theoretically grounded. This strand situates emerging biotechnologies within broader social forces, especially commercialisation. Drawing on classical social theory, particularly Karl Marx and Max Weber, the paper shows that concerns about dehumanization, homogenization, and the erosion of human values reflect a tradition of macro-level social critique rather than mere emotive reaction. Reconstructed in this way, bioconservatism offers a socially attuned, secular critique relevant to contemporary debates on genome editing and emerging biotechnologies.