The editors of Bioethics believe there is an ecological niche in the field. Their stated goal is to satisfy five criteria: international appeal; interdisciplinary (meaning understood by and of interest to readers from any or no discipline); independent peer review; practical contributions to solutions to real problems; and "above all" devotion to rigorous argument. In addition to original articles, book reviews and review essays, the editors invite discussion of articles in their journal or elsewhere.
The first issue is promising. Especially interesting are the lead article by Mary Warnock, "Do Human Cells Have Rights"; an analysis of "AIDS, Gays and State Coercion" by Richard Mohr; and three excellent book reviews, including an extended review essay of Mary Anne Warren's Gendercide: The Implication of Sex Selection.
In an introductory piece, the editors assert that no existing journal meets all their criteria. That is true. No journal meets all the criteria for ...
