ABSTRACT
It is argued that bioethics in the spirit of Kierkegaard requires engaging with experience, adopting the mood of earnestness and a dialogical art of helping. An existential engagement on behalf of those who are dealing with moral issues in medical practice requires taking responsibility for decisions, which cannot be delegated to others. Adopting earnest bioethics entails engaging with ethical issues in a manner different from instrumental modes of reasoning in bioethics. It is argued that such reasoning can result in partial moral blindness since it loses sight of matters that are of profound moral significance. Kierkegaard’s notion of the art of helping has implications for the patient-professional relationship that must be articulated in other categories than strictly the dominant bioethical discourse of patient autonomy and paternalism. The primary duty of the helper is to bring the person in need to the desired outcome, calling for dialogue with clear guidance and respectful control. Within this context, Christian virtues of hope and love can complement the dominant values or principles of biomedical ethics.
