Introduction to the Special Issue

Bioethics has been an interdisciplinary field since its inception. From the founding of the Hastings Center in 1969 (see cover photo) and the Kennedy Institute of Ethics in 1971, scholars from many disciplines have come together to create a field of study strengthened by its interdisciplinarity. In this special issue of Perspectives in Biology and Medicine, we celebrate the interdisciplinary character of bioethics by means of essays by eight distinguished bioethics scholars hailing from backgrounds in philosophy, law, medicine, nursing, public health, history, sociology, and narrative methods. Each contributor offers a personal perspective on their journey into bioethics from a particular disciplinary background and reflects on what that discipline contributes to the field. We believe that this collection of essays will be informative and enlightening to established bioethicists, students contemplating a career in bioethics, and all professionals and scholars who have an interest in ethical issues relating to medicine, biomedical research, and public health.