http://www.inquiriesjournal.com/keyword/bioethics Inquiries Journal provides undergraduate and graduate students around the world a platform for the wide dissemination of academic work over a range of core disciplines. en-us Sat, 27 Jun 2026 16:42:45 -0400 Sat, 27 Jun 2026 16:42:45 -0400 http://www.inquiriesjournal.com/articles/1914/eo-wilsons-sociobiology-and-the-marxist-response-a-critique-of-the-critics By Sharan K. Garlapati - Sociobiology is a sub-discipline of biology that aims to examine and explain social behavior in terms of evolution. It is interdisciplinary in nature, drawing from disciplines including psychology, ethology, anthropology, evolution, zoology, archaeology, and population genetics (Wilson 2000). While the term "sociobiology" appeared at least as early as the 1940s, the concept itself did not gain significant recognition until the publication of Dr. E. O. Wilson's, Sociobiology: The New Synthesis in 1975. This book pulled together a vast body of zoology, ethology, and research from other disciplines... Tue, 05 Oct 2021 10:37 EDT http://www.inquiriesjournal.com/articles/1914/eo-wilsons-sociobiology-and-the-marxist-response-a-critique-of-the-critics http://www.inquiriesjournal.com/articles/1590/lowering-restrictions-on-performance-enhancing-drugs-in-elite-sports By Rory W. Collins - This article argues that performance enhancing drugs (PEDs) ought to be allowed across all elite sporting competitions for athletes over the age of 16 so long as consuming them does not pose a significant risk to their health. I begin with a brief explanation of the current state of PED use in professional sports before assessing the prospect of allowing PEDs by three widely-accepted (though far from comprehensive) measures of ethical merit: well-being, autonomy, and justice. I end with a critique of the World Anti-Doping Agency's criteria for banning PEDs, concluding that allowing athletes to... Fri, 24 Mar 2017 09:28 EDT http://www.inquiriesjournal.com/articles/1590/lowering-restrictions-on-performance-enhancing-drugs-in-elite-sports http://www.inquiriesjournal.com/articles/1518/communicating-meaning-in-bioart-the-temporal-strength-of-living-media-and-the-impact-of-longevity By Alex J. Maben - BioArt is a modern art-form born from the marriage of biotechnology and human inspiration. I argue that the longevity of the art pieces, referred to as BioArtworks, plays an essential role in communicating meaning. As living, breathing creatures, humans are designed to best interpret messages that develop in real-time. BioArt is uniquely optimized for this fluid process. I discuss the temporal strength of living media by examining BioArt construction, maintenance, termination, and reincarnation, while also incorporating audience-level impacts throughout. In doing so, I interweave themes and techniques... Sun, 08 Jan 2017 10:51 EST http://www.inquiriesjournal.com/articles/1518/communicating-meaning-in-bioart-the-temporal-strength-of-living-media-and-the-impact-of-longevity http://www.inquiriesjournal.com/articles/1422/the-crispr-fantasy-flaws-in-current-metaphors-of-gene-modifying-technology By Alex J. Maben - CRISPR gene-modifying technology continues to revolutionize fields involving biological research. Rapid advancements, however, have sparked a vibrant bioethical debate scene. This research focuses on the effective usage of CRISPR metaphors in scientific communication. Specifically, I argue that the current figurative terminology—gene editing, targeting, scissors, etc.—exhibit underlying oversimplifications that bias public perspectives on CRISPR. Though the actual experimental science occurs in lab, the world learns about the discoveries through literary expression. It is thus... Mon, 13 Jun 2016 10:59 EDT http://www.inquiriesjournal.com/articles/1422/the-crispr-fantasy-flaws-in-current-metaphors-of-gene-modifying-technology http://www.inquiriesjournal.com/articles/795/irreversibility-and-the-modern-understanding-of-death By John Fortunato - Recent advancements in medicine have resulted in technology that allows us to have a better understanding of the essence of life. In turn, this has allowed us to more precisely identify the moment of death through certain criteria, whether through the cardiopulmonary criteria of death or through the newer, brain-oriented criteria of death. According to modern medicine (up-to-date medical technology and health care practices), human life is best measured by evaluation of brain function; however, the specific brain function that most directly relates to the essence of life has not been determined... Wed, 20 Nov 2013 03:37 EST http://www.inquiriesjournal.com/articles/795/irreversibility-and-the-modern-understanding-of-death