Wisdom that listens, innovation that respects: bioethics as a critical consciousness of our time

For decades, bioethics has been a bridge between biomedical advances and moral foundations that sustain human coexistence. However, the challenges of the 21st century call for more than theoretical reflection: they demand sharp ethical discernment, an attentive ear to vulnerabilities, and an unwavering commitment to innovation that honors the boundaries of human dignity. In this context, Revista Bioética stands as a plural and dynamic space for thought, offering readers a collection of texts that encourage critical, reflective, and transformative engagement with contemporary reality.

Published for over three decades by the Brazilian Federal Council of Medicine, Revista Bioética serves as a key reference for ethical reflections in health, with the particular distinction of being linked to the official body that regulates medical practice in the country ¹. Its origin as the first Brazilian journal devoted exclusively to ethical issues in the management of life underscores its pioneering role. Since then, the publication has expanded and earned a place in highly regarded international databases, including SciELO, Latindex, LILACS, DOAJ, Redalyc, and SCOPUS ²—an achievement that grants its global visibility and strong academic recognition.

Bioética’s international credibility is reaffirmed by its inclusion in the Scimago Journal Rank (SJR), which assesses the impact and influence of academic journals based on SCOPUS data ³. The most recent indicators reveal the growing prominence of the journal in the international academic landscape:

• SJR (2024): 0.279

• h-index: 10

• Classification by field:

  • Q2 in Philosophy (positioning itself among the most relevant journals in the field)

  • Q3 in Social Health Sciences

  • Q3 in Medicine (miscellaneous)

Being ranked among the leading journals in Latin America focused on bioethics and the philosophy of health is not merely a technical recognition; it is a clear indication of the impact the journal has had as a platform for connecting knowledge, values, and public policies. In a global context marked by increasingly complex moral dilemmas, such recognition strengthens the journal’s role as a reference for researchers, healthcare professionals, and policymakers seeking to ground their decisions in solid and up-to-date ethical principles.

This volume highlights emerging topics such as application of artificial intelligence in healthcare, use of electronic consent in biomedical research, sharenting, and public sharing of surgical procedures on social media ⁴. These issues not only inform but also challenge the foundations of professional ethics in times of rapid technological change. In light of this, bioethics must act as both a compass and a safeguard—not to hinder progress, but to guide it according to non-negotiable principles such as justice, autonomy, dignity, and non-maleficence ⁴.

Other articles emphasize the central role of empathy and virtues in clinical practice. Topics such as breaking bad news, palliative care, advance directives, and the use of cadavers in medical education reveal persistent gaps in both training and care practice. In such cases, bioethics goes beyond normative theory and emerges as ethics lived in the encounter with others ⁵.

There is also a call to rethink bioethics as a social project. Discussions around Sustainable Development Goals (SDG 3), the absence of bioethics in basic education, and reproductive rights highlight the transformative potential of the field. When disconnected from structures of inequality, bioethics is at risk of becoming an empty discourse ⁶.

The issue also offers readers a meta-reflection on the very foundations of bioethics. Approaches such as experimental bioethics and insights drawn from analytical psychology expand critical awareness about the paradoxes, contradictions, and epistemological limits of the field. In this context, ethical innovation demands both humility in the face of complexity and courage to embrace the tensions that challenge established models ⁷.

These reflections do not aim to provide ready-made answers. Rather, they invite committed listening, ethical responsibility, and transformative action. May each reader, while engaging with these pages, find not only knowledge but also the necessary discomfort to re-enchant healthcare practices with a living, plural, and genuinely human ethics.

References

• ¹ Conselho Federal de Medicina. Código de ética médica: Resolução CFM nº 2.217/2018. Brasília: CFM; 2019.
• ² Revista Bioética [internet]. Barcelona: Information Matrix for the Analysis of Journals (MIAR); 2025 [acesso 6 maio 2025]. Disponível: https://miar.ub.edu/issn/1983-8034
  » https://miar.ub.edu/issn/1983-8034
• ³ Revista Bioética [Internet]. Granada: SCImago Journal & Country Rank; 2025 [acesso 6 maio 2025]. Disponível: https://www.scimagojr.com/journalsearch.php?q=21101050907&tip=sid
  » https://www.scimagojr.com/journalsearch.php?q=21101050907&tip=sid
• ⁴ Topol E. Medicina profunda - Deep Medicine: como a inteligência artificial pode reumanizar os cuidados de saúde. Porto Alegre: Artmed; 2024.
• ⁵ Lee P, Goldberg C, Kohane I. A revolução da inteligência artificial na medicina: GPT-4 e além. Porto Alegre: Artmed; 2024.
• ⁶ World Health Organization. Ethics and governance of artificial intelligence for health: WHO guidance [Internet]. Geneva: WHO; 2021 [acesso 6 maio 2025]. Disponível: https://www.who.int/publications/i/item/9789240029200
  » https://www.who.int/publications/i/item/9789240029200
• ⁷ Unesco. Recommendation on the ethics of artificial intelligence - Outcome document, first draft [Internet]. Paris: Unesco; 2020 [acesso 6 maio 2025]. Disponível: https://unesdoc.unesco.org/ark:/48223/pf0000373434
  » https://unesdoc.unesco.org/ark:/48223/pf0000373434

• Responsible editor
  Dilza Teresinha Ambrós Ribeiro

Publication Dates

• Publication in this collection
  11 Aug 2025
• Date of issue
  2025