Economic & Political Weekly( EPW), XLVI (24)

What ordinary people would consider violations of ethical norms of society are seldom seen as such by medical practitioners and researchers who may go against such norms in the larger interests of science. The conduct of clinical trials in India illustrates this conflict which arises primarily because of particular objectifications of the human body. This article emphasises the need for drawing upon philosophy and the sociology of science, and their inclusion in medical curriculum in order to develop ethical practices within the medical community.