BiocHEMiCAL Bulletin 



Volume IV JUNE-SEPTEMBER, 191 5 No. 14-15 



THE DEPLORABLE CONTRAST BETWEEN INTRA- 

 NATIONAL AND INTERNATIONAL ETHICS, 



AND THE MISSION OF MEDICAL SCI- >- *. 



ENGE AND MEDICAL MEN* •''-^^■ 



S. J. MELTZER a4.W--W* 



The Chief aim of my remarks is to point out the unique Posi- 

 tion which medical sciences and medical men occupy in the horrible 

 war which is going on now between civiHzed nations. Interna- 

 tional moraHty may possibly derive some permanent benefit from 

 a conscious knowledge of this position. However, in order to 

 make my point clear, I shall introduce it by a general discussion 

 of some aspects of ethics. 



Moral philosophy assumes for granted that ethical relations of 

 civilized men are safely established; it concerns itself merely with 

 the question regarding the nature of the origin of ethical precepts. 

 In general, it may be admitted that the vast majority of civilized 

 men indeed do not question the correctness of ethical demands. 

 But writers on moral philosophy fail to distinguish between intra^ 

 national and int ermt'ionsil ethics. Hence, we find frequently that 

 international occurrences are discussed from the point of view of 

 intranational principles; international occurrences are brought be- 

 fore the forum of a supreme court of the world for judgment, 

 but the merits and demerits of the cases argued from the point 

 of view of ethics which obtain in intranational moral relations. 

 But the truth is that there is an abyss between the two domains of 

 morality. 



* Address delivered at the fourth annual dinner of the Columbia University 

 Biochemical Association, March 26, 191 5. 



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