Professional and scientific activities

PROFESSIONAL AND SCIENTIFIC ACTIVITIES

(József Kovács, MD, PhD, DSc)

 

Brief description of scientific activities to date

 

 

Contribution to creating the conditions for teaching and researching bioethics from a critical-philosophical perspective in Hungary

 

 

ESTABLISHING THE BIOETHICAL APPROACH IN HUNGARY. My field of research is bioethics. In bioethics, as applied ethics, several approaches are possible.   As a physician and philosopher, I have been involved in research on bioethics from a critical-philosophical perspective. This is basically an approach that uses Anglo-Saxon analytical philosophy methods, which is now the dominant research direction in bioethics. In Hungary, traditional medical-ethical research and education existed in the past[1] , but the bioethical approach only appeared in the mid-1980s. I considered it one of my tasks to conduct research on bioethics from a medical-philosophical perspective and to contribute to the international development of bioethics. At the same time, it was also important to raise awareness of bioethics in Hungary, to further develop it, and to adapt it critically to domestic conditions.

 

CREATING THE DOMESTIC INFRASTRUCTURAL CONDITIONS FOR BIOETHICAL RESEARCH. One of my goals was to create the conditions for modern, critical-philosophical bioethics research in Hungary. This was achieved with the help of two foreign donations (Nuffield Foundation and Patricia Kendall Donation). Our institute became one of the centers where a modern bioethics library was established in the early 1990s. Since then, it has been one of the infrastructural bases of domestic research.

One of my goals was to conduct bioethical research that took into account Hungarian medical and philosophical traditions and was based on the Hungarian legal environment. This necessarily involves presenting the results of this research in Hungarian education and healthcare practice.  Accordingly, my goals also included writing a modern bioethics textbook and reference book. This summarizes the results of modern bioethics for university education, continuing medical education, and the broader profession (philosophy, jurisprudence), further developing them and adapting them to domestic conditions. It also takes into account the legal environment in which these rules must operate. Bioethics first developed in the US, but the US legal system is typically based on case law, which differs significantly from domestic continental law. Thus, domestic bioethics must also function in a different legal environment, which in many cases requires different solutions.

 

INTRODUCING BIOETHICS INTO DOMESTIC MEDICAL TRAINING AND WRITING TEXTBOOKS WITH A MEDICAL-BIOETHICAL APPROACH. The first edition of my book was published in the summer of 1997.[2]  The second edition was released shortly thereafter.[3]  Since then, a third, revised and expanded edition has been in circulation, published in abridged form as a textbook[4] ,  in a longer, specialist version as an e-book[5] and as a printed book.[6]   These books are required textbooks at Hungarian medical universities for the training of doctors, dentists, pharmacists, and postgraduate health managers. The book is also used as required or recommended reading in law and theology higher education institutions. Béla Blasszauer’s pioneering books were the first in Hungary to be considered bioethical in spirit[7] [8] , but he chose a legal approach to bioethics, while my book is intended to be the first Hungarian introduction to modern bioethics from a medical-philosophical perspective.

My second book deals with ethical issues in psychiatry and psychotherapy[9] , while my third, edited book analyzes ethical issues in biotechnology.[10]

In addition to my books, I have addressed specific areas of bioethics in numerous scientific articles. I have drawn attention to problems and shortcomings in Hungarian regulations and proposed new solutions in many areas of bioethics.

 

 

Contribution to the introduction of the most important results of bioethical research into the Hungarian legal system

 

INTRODUCING BIOETHICAL SOLUTIONS INTO THE HUNGARIAN LEGAL SYSTEM. One of my goals was to ensure that the modern bioethical approach was reflected in the Hungarian legal system and, consequently, in everyday healthcare practice. In 1996-97, as an expert appointed by the committee preparing the new healthcare law, I was able to participate in the development of the concept of Act CLIV of 1997 (on healthcare) and in the drafting of several chapters of the act. I worked on the final version of Chapter II of the law before codification—which lists patients’ rights and regulates the mechanisms for enforcing these rights—as part of a working group, and the law adopted the wording and proposed solutions from my book, published earlier in 1997, verbatim in several places.

From 1999 onwards, my interest turned primarily to ethical issues in psychiatry and psychotherapy. The result of this research is my third book, which was also my doctoral thesis.[11]

 

Contribution to proving the viability of the patient rights representative system in Hungary and its introduction into the Hungarian healthcare system

 

TESTING THE PATIENT RIGHTS REPRESENTATIVE SYSTEM IN A MODEL EXPERIMENT. In addition to my theoretical work, I participated in a model experiment testing the feasibility of introducing a patient rights representative system in Hungary as part of the preparation of the new health care law in 1997. During the preparation phase of the law, doubts were raised as to whether the institution of patient rights representatives, which had functioned well in several other countries, would be equally useful in Hungary. Many considered the patient rights representative system to be too “American.” Therefore, between 1996 and 1999, with the support of the Soros Foundation, the Szószóló Foundation for Patients’ Rights, of which I was one of the founders and leaders, launched a pilot project entitled “The Feasibility of Introducing the Institution of Hospital Ombudsman in Hungary.” The experiment proved that the patient rights representative system is very useful for hospitals that volunteer to try it out and that it functions well in the Hungarian context. This was also confirmed by the fact that there was a hospital that, after the pilot project was completed, continued to finance the patient rights representative from its own budget for a while, no longer as part of the pilot project.

 

DOMESTIC TESTING OF THE PSYCHIATRIC PATIENT RIGHTS REPRESENTATIVE SYSTEM.  Encouraged by the success of the trial, between 1999 and 2000 we launched another program, again in cooperation with the Szószoló Foundation and Mental Disability Rights International in the US entitled “Model Experiment for the Introduction of a Psychiatric Ombudsman in Hungary,” as we felt that psychiatric patients constitute a particularly vulnerable group of patients. This experiment was also successful, and we felt that these two experiments contributed to the adoption and introduction of the patient rights representative system into the Hungarian healthcare system.

My main theoretical findings in the 1980s and 1990s

 

WRITINGS ON MEDICAL PATERNALISM, ETHICAL PROBLEMS IN THE HEALTHCARE SYSTEM AS A WHOLE, GRATUITIES, AND  THE DISCONTINUATION OF LIFE-SUPPORTING TREATMENTS.  My first publications in the 1980s dealt with medical paternalism,[12] the problems of the paternalistic doctor-patient relationship, and the moral dilemmas of the various structures of the healthcare system as a whole.[13] In several studies, I examined some of the key moral problems in Hungarian healthcare, such as the issue of gratuities[14] and the legal uncertainty surrounding the termination of life-sustaining treatment in Hungary.[15]

 

THE THEORETICAL DEFINITION OF HEALTH AND ILLNESS. From the outset, I have been concerned with the problem of the theoretical definition of health and illness, on which I have published several early studies,[16] [17] [18] [19] and to which I later returned in connection with the definition of psychiatric illness and the problem of medicalization.[20] [21] [22]  [23]  [24]  There are two major schools of thought on the definition of  health: the naturalistic model and the normative approach. One of the most developed forms of naturalistic definitions of health is  Boorse’s influential theory, which defines health as species-typical functioning. According to this, an organism is healthy if it is as evolution “designed” it to be, with all its organs and the organism as a whole functioning with the species-typical efficiency developed during evolution.  I argued in favor of the normative definition of health as opposed to this naturalistic model of health. Contrary to Boorse’s views, species-typical is not necessarily healthy. The logic of evolution is that the individual that survives is the one that is best adapted to its environment, even if it is not species-typical. Evolution itself is nothing more than the emergence of non-typical individuals and, if they are better adapted to the environment than their typical counterparts, their spread. A new species emerges from an older one precisely because certain non-typical individuals have a selective advantage over typical individuals, and they represent the first step towards the development of a new species. However, it follows from this that in rapidly changing circumstances—and the human environment is such—Boorse’s definition of health is inadequate. Another problem with Boorse’s definition is that the concept of health includes a state of adequate adaptation to the environment. In humans, however, neither the environment nor the concept of adequate adaptation can be defined without reference to norms. On the one hand, humans partly create their own environment; it is not given to them, as it is to animals. We cannot adapt to our environment simply by adapting our bodies to it, but increasingly by transforming our environment  according to our own needs and moral principles. On the other hand, the concept of good adaptation to this increasingly artificial and man-made environment is also norm-dependent.   Accordingly, the definition of health and illness always contains a normative element. Thus, the definition of health and illness is not a value-free concept. I have already analyzed the consequences and lessons of this in detail in my book on ethical issues in psychiatry, particularly in relation to the definition of psychiatric disorders.

 

ANALYSIS OF THE CONCEPT OF DISABILITY. The concept of disability and the bioethical issues arising from it are closely related to the question of health and illness. A colleague and I have dealt with this issue in detail.[25] We distinguished between the medical-rehabilitation model of disability and the social-constructionist model. The former views disability as a biologically determined disadvantage, in which the disadvantages suffered by the disabled person are caused by the disability itself. According to this view, the disadvantages can basically be reduced by helping the disabled person to adapt to society. In contrast, the social-constructivist model assumes that in many cases the disadvantages experienced by persons with disabilities do not arise from the disability itself, but from the fact that the structure of society generally meets the physical and mental needs of the statistical majority. Thus, in many cases, the disadvantages caused by disability are created by society. Ultimately, we found both the medical-rehabilitation model and the social-constructionist model to be one-sided, and we argued for an integrative—biopsychosocial—model of disability that takes into account the positives of both models and is already widely accepted in psychiatry. At the same time, we found that the social-constructivist model—despite its one-sidedness—can greatly help raise awareness that the disadvantages faced by persons with disabilities often stem not from their biological characteristics, but from a social structure that ignores their specific somatic-psychological needs. We examined in detail the ethical implications of this in relation to the debate on disability prevention, which has recently been raised mainly by the availability of preimplantation genetic diagnosis (PGD).

 

ETHICAL ISSUES IN HUMAN RESEARCH. I began to address ethical issues in human research at an early stage[26] , and later returned to this topic in connection with a more detailed examination of issues in psychiatric research and a critique of domestic legal regulations.[27] [28] [29] I examined in detail the ethical dilemmas raised by randomized controlled clinical trials, the question of whether it is mandatory in all cases to continue the research until the significance level is reached, and I analyzed the possible conflicts between the obligations of the researcher as a researcher and the researcher as a healing-physician.

 

ETHICAL ISSUES OF ARTIFICIAL ABORTION AND THE PROBLEM OF THE MORAL STATUS OF THE FETUS. As the issue of artificial abortion came to the fore in Hungary and became the subject of public debate following the Constitutional Court’s decision , I addressed the moral issues surrounding abortion in several of my studies. In this context, I have addressed the problem of  the moral status of the embryo, which has become particularly significant in the debate on the permissibility of therapeutic cloning.[30] [31] [32] [33] [34] I have examined the history of the assessment of abortion and contraception, as well as the traditional reasons for prohibiting abortion. I have sharply distinguished these from the current anti-abortion position, which generally considers the moral status of the fetus to be the central issue in the abortion debate. I analyzed in detail the main positions expressed in the abortion debate and, using Judith Jarvis Thomson’s argument, showed how arguments based on women’s right to self-determination can circumvent debates about the moral status of the fetus. This argument allows the question of the acceptability of abortion to be examined without analyzing the moral status of the fetus. I analyzed the question of the moral status of the embryo and the fetus in particular detail. This is not only significant in relation to abortion, but is also a key issue in the current debate on the permissibility of therapeutic cloning. In examining the moral status of the fetus, I developed the so-called modified brain birth concept, following Goldenring. This concept, created by analogy with brain death, sees a strict symmetry between the beginning and end of human life. At the end of human life, a person’s moral status ceases with brain death, even though the person is still biologically alive. This fact makes it possible to transplant the organs of a brain-dead person. A person’s moral status therefore ceases before their biological life ends.  Just as brain death and biological death do not coincide at the end of human life, according to the concept of brain birth, the biological beginning of life does not coincide with the development of moral status at the beginning of human life.  Biologically, human life begins (with conception) before the development of moral status, which begins with the development of brain function at the end of the embryonic period. There is a heated debate surrounding the concept of brain death between the currently accepted concept of whole brain death (brain stem death) and the concept of neocortical brain death. Similarly, with regard to the concept of brain birth, a distinction can be made between the concept of brain stem birth (which would date the development of moral status from the end of the embryonic period) and the concept of cortical brain birth,   which would date the development of the fetus’s moral status to the end of the 20th week of pregnancy. I have argued in favor of the brainstem birth concept and analyzed the moral implications of the brain-birth concept in detail.

 

MAINTAINING THE MEDICAL PERSONALITY AS AN ETHICAL OBLIGATION. It is well known that doctors heal not only with their professional knowledge but also with their personality. Mihály Bálint called this component of healing “doctor’s medicine.” However, if the physician’s personality is one of the tools of healing, then developing and “maintaining” this personality is just as important a moral obligation as maintaining any other tool used in healing.

I argued for the existence of this obligation and examined the possibilities for fulfilling it.[35] [36]

 

INFORMED CONSENT. The traditional, paternalistic doctor-patient relationship is increasingly being replaced by a relationship based on equality and partnership between doctor and patient, which is fundamentally characterized by the doctrine of informed consent. I analyzed in detail and adapted to domestic conditions the requirement of informed consent in healthcare.[37] [38] [39] [40] I analyzed the standards of informed consent and listed the exceptions when certain elements of informed consent may be disregarded. I made detailed recommendations for the practical implementation of patient information. The doctrine of informed consent was introduced into the Hungarian legal system by Act CLIV of 1997.

 

DECISION-MAKING CAPACITY. The requirement of informed consent has far-reaching consequences. Patients can not only consent to medical intervention, but also refuse it. However, only patients with decision-making capacity can validly consent to or refuse treatment, so the problem of determining decision-making capacity is a serious bioethical issue, which I have dealt with separately.[41]

 

REFUSAL OF LIFE-SAVING OR LIFE-SUSTAINING TREATMENT. In many cases, the right to refuse treatment also extends to the refusal of life-saving or life-sustaining treatment. Under the 1972 Health Act, it was not possible to refuse such treatment in Hungary. This naturally raises the question of various forms of euthanasia. I have discussed the problems of this in Hungary in numerous articles.   I have argued that it should be legally permissible for adult patients with legal capacity to refuse life-saving and life-sustaining treatment. However, this does not mean that active euthanasia should be permitted. I have also argued in favor of introducing certain legal mechanisms in Hungary that would make this possible (advance directives, living wills, durable powers of attorney, etc.).[42] [43] [44] [45] [46] [47] Act CLIV of 1997 then made it possible in Hungary to refuse life-saving and life-sustaining treatment in certain cases and introduced the above-mentioned legal mechanisms.

 

THE ABOLITION OF WHITE LIES. The question of whether to disclose the diagnosis and poor prognosis  or use a white  lie arises in the case of incurable patients. In several of my articles, I have argued for the abolition of white lies and the need to provide objective information to incurable patients.[48] [49] [50] 

Although white lies have not been legally possible in Hungary since 1990, practice in the early 1990s differed significantly from this, and serious change only came about following the provisions of Act CLIV of 1997, which were similar in spirit.

 

ETHICAL ISSUES IN THE DISTRIBUTION OF SCARCE MEDICAL RESOURCES. The lack of resources in the Hungarian healthcare system drew my attention to the importance of the distribution of scarce resources and the ethical dilemmas associated with it. I wrote my doctoral dissertation on this topic[51] , which can also be read in expanded form as a chapter in my textbook,  and I have also addressed this issue in an article.[52] I analyzed in detail the various levels of healthcare allocation (upper and lower level macroallocation, as well as upper and lower level microallocation), and, by analogy with the well-known concept of triage in traumatology, I introduced the general concept of rationing to describe the phenomenon of a patient not receiving, or not receiving in time, everything that would be medically useful for their health condition. I argued that no healthcare system in the world is capable of providing everything to everyone, meaning that rationing is an inevitable part of every healthcare system. However, there are two forms of rationing: hard, explicit rationing based on public criteria, and soft, spontaneous, case-by-case rationing at the patient’s bedside, which is mostly unconscious. Although soft rationing is much more common in everyday practice, I argued for the ethical advantages of hard rationing. I proposed the development of a priority system similar to that in Oregon, USA, in the Hungarian healthcare system in order to make it easier to solve prioritization problems. In my textbook, I analyzed in detail the main criteria used in rationing practice. Following Kilner, I examined 15 such criteria and attempted to provide a detailed ethical analysis of each. The 15 criteria are:

 

  • the medical benefits of treatment
  • immediate danger to life
  • the probability of treatment success
  • number of life-years saved
  • the expected quality of life of the patient saved
  • the psychological stability of the patient
  • the existence of a supportive environment for the patient
  • the patient’s social usefulness
  • the territorial principle
  • the necessary application time of the scarce device
  • indispensability in terms of saving the lives of other people and ensuring their well-being
  • the individual’s moral responsibility for their illness
  • solvency
  • the method of random selection;
  • age

 

 Based on my analysis, I finally concluded that the morally acceptable selection criteria are as follows: the medical benefits of treatment, in some cases the territorial principle, the necessary application time of scarce equipment, the importance of the patient’s life in terms of the lives and well-being of others, and random distribution.  The patient’s age, psychological stability, and the presence of a supportive environment can only be considered as part of the medical criteria. The patient’s moral responsibility for the development of their own illness is a theoretically acceptable criterion, but it is difficult to apply in practice.

I have argued in detail against the ethical acceptability of the other criteria used in practice.

This problem arose very sharply in 2020, at the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic. At that time, the overload of the healthcare system and the limited number of intensive care beds and ventilators not only raised the theoretical problem of the fair distribution of scarce, life-saving medical resources, but most healthcare systems also had to grapple with this issue in practice. Various countries issued guidelines on this issue one after another. Using the results of my research mentioned above, I participated in a working group of the Hungarian Medical Chamber, , which formulated the first such guidelines for the Hungarian healthcare system. The criteria developed as a result of my research mentioned above were clearly reflected in these guidelines.[53]     

 

 

PUBLICATION OF MY BOOK ON MEDICAL ETHICS AND BIOETHICS IN 1997. 

 

In the mid-1990s, I completed my textbook on medical ethics and bioethics, which is a summary of my theoretical work to that time.[54]  Since then the third, revised and expanded edition of the book has been published in 2025. In it, I was able to address a number of topics that I had not had the opportunity to discuss in detail before and which had not been covered in this form in Hungarian-language literature until then. These are as follows.

 

PRINCIPLISM. In my first book, I discussed an approach based on the fundamental principles of modern medical ethics, which describes the algorithm for resolving ethical dilemmas as a conflict between four fundamental principles of medical ethics: “the principle of respect for patient autonomy,” “the principle of do no harm,” “the principle of beneficence,” and “the principle of justice.” ” as a conflict. Elsewhere, I have analyzed in detail the other “fashionable” approach, the casuistic method, which is mainly used in clinical bioethics as a method to aid everyday clinical decisions.   I analyzed its advantages and disadvantages in comparison with the “principlist” approach based on fundamental principles. I also recommended its introduction in Hungary.[55]

 

ANALYSIS OF SO-CALLED RATIONAL SUICIDE. In the book, I analyzed in detail the ethical issues related to suicide, touching on the debates surrounding the concept of suicide. I examined the classic arguments for and against suicide, and finally discussed the debate on whether so-called rational suicide is acceptable. I argued in favor of its acceptability.

 

ETHICAL ISSUES IN ORGAN AND TISSUE TRANSPLANTATION. In this book, I discussed ethical issues in organ and tissue transplantation for the first time. I analyzed in detail the fairness issues surrounding kidney transplantation and chronic hemodialysis, and in addition to traditional topics in organ transplantation (transplantation from living donors, analysis of the concept of death, and ethical analysis of the main systems of organ removal from cadavers), I also discuss the ethical issues surrounding the use of embryonic and fetal tissues. I argued in favor of accepting a soft form of presumed consent and, in the event that a hard form of presumed consent was accepted, I recommended the development of more reliable means of documenting objections. This solution was ultimately incorporated into the  health care law of 1997.[56]

 

THE LIBERATION OF ANIMALS.  In the book, I discussed the ethical issues of animal experimentation and the treatment of animals. To my knowledge, I was the first in Hungary to analyze Peter Singer’s influential anti-speciesist theory. When the Hungarian translation of Singer’s book was published in 2019, I wrote the foreword to the book.[57] 

I used the concept of “critical anthropomorphism” as an effective tool for understanding animal suffering.   I also analyzed the methodological and content criteria for ethical animal experimentation.

 

THE RIGHTS OF PATIENTS. In the book, I explained—using relevant international literature and critically adapting it to domestic conditions—the system of describing and institutionally protecting patients’ rights, which was later accepted and thus incorporated into the health care law that has been in force ever since.

The declaration of patients’ rights and the institutional guarantee of the protection of these rights are particularly important for ensuring patient-centered healthcare. The democratization of healthcare, the equalization of the doctor-patient relationship, and the pursuit of more honest doctor-patient communication have led to the emergence of the patient rights approach and the codification of these rights. The patient rights approach is also an important element of healthcare quality assurance and a means of reducing healthcare costs. Patients who participate as partners in medical decisions and receive the necessary information from their doctors and healthcare institutions recover more quickly and effectively, as they are more actively involved in their own treatment and more willing to cooperate with their doctors. Therefore, healthcare that respects patients’ rights is not only more democratic, but also more cost-effective and medically superior to traditional, paternalistic medicine. The declaration of patient rights is therefore an important driving force that helps transform the traditionally paternalistic model of healthcare  into a modern, patient-centered healthcare system based on the equality of doctors and patients.

Traditional, paternalistic healthcare is based on patient dependence and obedience. Here, the patient is in a subordinate position, has little freedom of choice, and is unaware of both the quality and cost of the healthcare they receive. In such a healthcare system, the patient is condemned to a passive, obedient role. The patient rights approach allows patients to participate more actively in their own healthcare. Such patients are subjects of healthcare, not objects. Active patients are sensitive to the quality and cost of the healthcare they receive. At the same time, they take responsibility for their own health and actively cooperate with their doctor during treatment. The patient rights approach is therefore essential for the development of a patient-centered healthcare system that is based on the needs and expectations of patients and places great emphasis on patient satisfaction.

Ideally, the declaration of patients’ rights should consist of two parts.

First, such regulations declare and list the fundamental rights of patients. Second, the regulations must describe in detail how these rights can be enforced in practice. A detailed description of these principles and solutions can be found in the last chapter of my bioethics textbook, and this was adopted in the 1997 Health Care Act. Since then, this has been the framework in Hungary that ensures the declaration and enforcement  of patients’ rights in everyday health care. 

Summary of my main theoretical achievements before the 2000s

 

  • Analysis of the concepts of health and illness and contribution to the development of a normative definition of health in the field of somatic medicine
  • Analysis of the concept of disability and examination of the beneficial effects of the social constructionist model on ensuring the rights of persons with disabilities. Contribution to the introduction of an integrative, biopsychosocial model of disability.
  • Contribution to the development of the concept of informed consent to medical interventions and its adaptation to domestic conditions.
  • Clarifying the criteria for decision-making  capacity required for consent to medical interventions
  • Examination of issues of fairness arising in relation to the distribution of scarce resources in healthcare (macro- and micro-allocation). Argumentation in favor of the wider application of hard rationing.
  •  Analysis of the moral status of embryos and fetuses, and application of the concept of brain birth. Brain birth marks the point at which full moral status is attained
  • Examination of the ethical consequences of the concept of “doctor-medicine” created by Mihály Bálint. Argument for the development and maintenance of medical personality as an ethical obligation
  • Analysis of the ethical issues involved in informing patients with incurable diseases and poor prognoses. Argument in favor of providing objective information to patients with poor prognoses and contributing to the development of a more honest doctor-patient relationship.
  • Analysis of the ethical issues surrounding suicide and examination of the moral acceptability of so-called rational suicide
  •  Arguments in favor of the right to refuse certain life-saving and life-sustaining treatments.   Contributing to the creation of modern legal mechanisms (living wills, durable powers of attorney, substitute decision-making) in Hungary.
  • Analysis of ethical issues related to organ and tissue transplantation.   Arguments in favor of allowing certain transplant procedures that were previously not legally permitted in Hungary (e.g., so-called “exchange” donations from living donors)
  • Analysis of issues related to animal experimentation and the treatment of animals. Argument in favor of adopting a moderate animal protection position
  • I was the first person in Hungary to present Peter Singer’s ideas on the moral status of animals in my textbook published in 1997. I wrote the foreword to the Hungarian translation of Peter Singer’s book Animal Liberation, published in 2019.
  • Examination of ethical issues in human research.
  • Contribution to the formulation of patient rights in Hungary and the development of institutional mechanisms for the protection of patient rights in Hungary (patient rights representative system, mediation, ethics committees)
  • Contribution to proving the domestic viability of the patient rights representative system in a pilot project prior to the adoption of Act CLIV of 1997
  • Analysis of the differences between modern bioethics and traditional medical ethics, contribution to the domestic development of the modern bioethical approach
  • Comparative study of the principlist and casuistic approaches to medical ethics. Description  of the “functioning” of the two methods and initiation of their dissemination in domestic practice
  • Contribution to the domestic dissemination of the science of bioethics and the acceptance of its approach, and to the spread of its curriculum in domestic medical, dental, and pharmaceutical training, as well as in health management training.

 

Brief summary of research results related to ethical issues in psychiatry and psychotherapy

 

 

I wrote my academic doctoral dissertation on philosophical and ethical issues in psychiatry and psychotherapy, summarizing my research findings from 1999 to 2006. As a result of the evaluation of my dissertation, I was awarded the title of Doctor of the Hungarian Academy of Sciences in 2010. The material of the dissertation was also published in book form by Medicina Publishing House.[58]

My main findings are as follows:

 

  • Contribution to clarifying the role of values in defining the concept of psychiatric illness
  • Contribution to the theoretical definition of the concepts of health and illness in psychiatry and the development of a normative definition of health
  • Critical analysis of anti-psychiatry and the social constructionist approach to mental illness
  • Critical analysis of the concept of medicalization in the field of psychiatry
  • Contribution to defining the concept of competence and developing a sliding scale for it
  • Review of decision-making mechanisms that can be used in psychiatry, along with arguments for developing the mechanisms  necessary for their domestic implementation
  • Ethical analysis of the conditions and principles of involuntary psychiatric treatment and comparison with domestic constitutional principles, with particular regard to the right to freedom of expression. Contribution to the development of the limits and conditions of involuntary psychiatric treatment in Hungary
  • Examination of ethical issues in psychiatric research. Contribution to the clarification of the criteria for conducting placebo-controlled trials in Hungary and the development of special rules for research conducted in poorer countries
  • Contribution to the analysis of general ethical issues in psychotherapy and the examination of specific issues in individual, group, and family therapy
  • Contribution to proving the domestic viability of the system of psychiatric patient rights representatives and mapping the enforcement of psychiatric patient rights in Hungary within the framework of a model experiment

 

Research following the completion of psychiatric ethics research

A brief summary of my findings related to biotechnology ethics research

 

I compiled the results of this research into a book manuscript, which was accepted for publication in e-book form by Semmelweis Publishing. The book was published in 2017.[59]   However, I have already published several chapters from the book in various journals, given the great importance of biotechnology and environmental ethics issues.[60] [61]   Other issues discussed in this book, however, appeared for the first time in this book.[62] [63]

 

Other psychiatric ethical research

 

In the case of psychiatric disorders, their impact on an individual’s quality of life is particularly significant, mainly due to the stigma they cause. I have therefore focused on the problems of defining quality of life[64] and the impact of the stigmatization caused by psychiatric disorders on quality of life.[65]    To my knowledge, I was the first in Hungary to write about philosophical counseling[66] as a new, possible form of counseling that can be a good complement to psychological counseling.

I wrote a summary chapter for students on ethical issues in psychotherapy.[67] We analyzed the ethical issues of electroconvulsive therapy (ECT) in a separate article.[68]

 

New research ethics issues

 

My experience working at ETT TUKEB prompted me to provide a comprehensive overview of the legal environment of research ethics regulation in Hungary by summarizing the legal regulations in force at the time.[69]

I also summarized some important aspects of research ethics in a lecture note for educational purposes,[70] , and analyzed newer issues in research ethics in several articles.[71] [72]

 

Patient rights issues

 

Health insurance issues have a fundamental impact on the enforcement of patient rights in Hungary, which is why I have discussed these issues in detail.[73]

At a conference organized by the ombudsman, I discussed in detail the changes and problems in the situation of patient rights in Hungary and made recommendations for their resolution.[74] In a commentary, I discussed the ethical problems of treating people suffering from Body Integrity Identity Disorder.[75]

 

 

The emergence of bioethical principles in individual medical disciplines

 

Bioethics is no longer a theoretical discipline that operates separately from and independently of individual medical specialties, but rather a field of science that responds to their specific problems and is capable of providing concrete solutions. I have dealt with specific ethical issues raised by individual medical fields (internal medicine, surgery, psychiatry, clinical psychology, psychotherapy, gastroenterology)  in several book chapters and articles.[76] [77] [78] [79] [80] [81] [82] [83] [84]

In 2007, I initiated a series entitled “Ethical Dilemmas” in the journal Lege Artis Medicinae with the aim of mapping typical ethical dilemmas arising in Hungarian healthcare.[85] This involved not only describing individual ethical dilemmas, but also analyzing them from a variety of perspectives—medical, ethical, legal, philosophical, etc.—with the help of renowned experts.   Numerous ethical dilemmas were published in this column, and I myself participated in such analyses within the framework of the column.[86]

 

The ethical implications of pseudoscience

 

Today, the spread of “pseudoscience” and anti-science attitudes are serious problems. This is a process that began some time ago and has intensified, if anything, in the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic.

Even before the pandemic, I dealt in detail with the difficulties of drawing the line between “pseudoscience” and science, and the ethical problems that arise in this context.[87]  

 

Ethical issues in dealing with errors in healthcare

 

Until the beginning of the 21st century, open communication about errors committed in healthcare was considered taboo. The unspoken rule was that it was forbidden to make mistakes in medical care. If an error was discovered, the typical approach was the trio of naming, blaming, and shaming. In other words, name the person who made the mistake, blame them, and treat the mistake as a source of shame. It was also typical that when a mistake was discovered, it was quietly investigated, but not discussed publicly within the healthcare system.  However, since healthcare workers are human beings, and human beings inevitably make mistakes, this approach did not solve the problem, but rather exacerbated it. After all, it was not possible to learn from the mistakes of others, as they were not made public. A different approach was needed, one that showed zero tolerance for mistakes, but appropriate tolerance for those who made them. This required the development of mechanisms to ensure that the inevitable mistakes caused as little damage as possible. This also means that mistakes can be publicly acknowledged and communicated. I analyzed this in detail, emphasizing the importance of the new approach in Hungary as well.[88]  

 

Publication ethics and scientometrics issues

 

An important branch of research ethics is publication ethics and scientometrics, which are based on the question of authorship, which makes it difficult to assess the relative contribution of individual authors in multi-authored articles. I have addressed these issues in several articles, commentaries, interviews, and posts.[89] [90] [91] [92] [93]

 

New issues in patient information and the patient’s right to self-determination

 

Problems with patient information arise in many different situations. Together with my colleagues, I published a study analyzing ethical issues arising in connection with the human papillomavirus vaccine[94] , as well as the issue that arises in dental practice when a patient wants dental treatment that does not serve their oral health.[95]

 

Issues surrounding the withdrawal of life-saving treatment and euthanasia

 

The COVID pandemic has raised the acute question of whether life-sustaining treatment can be discontinued despite the patient’s express objection if it involves the use of life-sustaining equipment (e.g., a ventilator or ECMO), which is also needed by others, and without which the lives of many other patients cannot be saved. I have discussed this issue in detail in relation to ECMO treatment.[96]

All this leads to the question of voluntary active euthanasia, which has been raised again and again in Hungary, most recently in connection with the petition submitted by constitutional lawyer   Dániel Karsai (1977-2024) to the European Court of Human Rights.

I have analyzed this issue in an academic article[97] and have sought to draw attention to its complexity at several conferences and in various publications.[98] [99] [100] [101] [102] [103] [104] [105]

 

 

Budapest, November 21, 2025.

 

Dr. József Kovács

Professor Emeritus

[1] Szilárd János (1981): Issues in Medical Ethics. Budapest, SOTE (p. 175)

[2] Kovács, József (1997): Fundamentals of modern medical ethics. Introduction to bioethics. Budapest: Medicina Publishing House (p. 629)

[3] Dr. József Kovács: Fundamentals of modern medical ethics. Introduction to bioethics. 2nd revised edition. Budapest, 1999, 2006, E-book: 2019. Medicina Publishing House. (p. 641) (Reference book and textbook used at several universities)

[4] Dr. József Kovács (2025): Fundamentals of Modern Medical Ethics. Introduction to Bioethics. 3rd revised edition. Abridged textbook version. Budapest: Medicina Publishing House. (p. 460.) (ISBN 978-963-226-927-6)

[5] Dr. József Kovács (2025): Fundamentals of Modern Medical Ethics. Introduction to Bioethics. 3rd revised and expanded edition. E-book. Budapest: Medicina Publishing House. (p. 1163.)

(ISBN 978-963-226-930-6) https://www.medicina-kiado.hu/kiadvanyaink/szak-es-tankonyvek/….e-book/

[6] Dr. József Kovács (2025): Fundamentals of Modern Medical Ethics. Introduction to Bioethics. 3rd revised and expanded edition. Printed version. Budapest: Medicina Publishing House. (p. 1163.) (ISBN 978-963-226-983-2)

[7] Béla Blasszauer (1984): A Good Death (Euthanasia) Budapest: Gondolat Publishing House

[8] Béla Blasszauer (1995): Medical Ethics. Budapest: Medicina Publishing House

[9] Dr. József Kovács: Bioethical issues in psychiatry and psychotherapy. 

Budapest, 2007. Medicina Publishing House (p. 677) Available in full free of charge at the following internet address: http://real-d.mtak.hu/347/

[10] Dr. József Kovács (2017) (ed.): Ethical issues in biotechnology. (E-book, Semmelweis Publishing House, www.semmelweiskiado.hu) (p. 287)

[11] Dr. József Kovács: Bioethical Issues in Psychiatry and Psychotherapy. 

Budapest, 2007. Medicina Publishing House (p. 677)  Available in full for free at the following internet address:  http://real-d.mtak.hu/347/

[12] József Kovács (1984): Medical paternalism. SOTE Scientific Communications, Issue 14 (pp. 163-172)

[13] József Kovács (1985): Health care systems from a moral perspective. SOTE and OTKI Scientific Communications No. 1. (pp. 173-179)

[14] Jozsef Kovacs: Bribery and Medical Ethics in Hungary. Bulletin of Medical Ethics. No. 66 March, 1991 (pp. 13-18)

[15] Jozsef Kovacs: Terminating treatment in Hungary. Bulletin of Medical Ethics. October, 1991. No. 72. (pp. 13-19)

[16] Jozsef Kovacs (1987): The Concept of Health and Illness. In: Society—Science—Healthcare SOTE—OTE Scientific Communications No. 3. (pp. 315-322)

[17] Jozsef Kovacs: Concepts of Health and Disease. 1989. The Journal of Medicine and Philosophy, Vol. 14. No 3. June 1989. (pp. 261-267)

[18] József Kovács: On the Concept of Individual and Social Health I. Lege Artis Medicinae Vol. 2, No. 1, January 29, 1992. (pp. 80-85)

[19] József Kovács: On the Concept of Individual and Social Health II. Lege Artis Medicinae Vol. 2, No. 3, March 31, 1992. (pp. 286-289)

[20] Jozsef Kovacs: The Concept of Health and Disease. Medicine, Health Care and Philosophy (Vol. 1, No. 1.) 1: 31-39, 1998.

[21] József Kovács: Psychiatry and Medicalization. Attention Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder. Lege Artis Medicinae Vol. 14, No. 3, March 2004 (pp. 226-228)

[22] József Kovács: Philosophical questions concerning the concept of psychiatric illness. Valóság 2004/4 (Vol. XLVII, No. 4) April 2004 (pp. 1-20)

[23] József Kovács: Psychiatry and medicalization. The causes of psychiatrization. Lege Artis Medicinae Vol. 14, No. 7. July 2004 (pp. 520-524)

[24] József Kovács: Psychiatry and medicalization. Depression. Lege Artis Medicinae Vol. 14, No. 10. October 2004 (pp. 716-717)

[25] József Kovács—János Réthelyi (2004): The phenomenon of disability in bioethics. In: Péter Zászkaliczky—Tamás Verdes (eds.) (2004): Special education in a broader sense. The phenomenon of disability in the border sciences of special education. Budapest: ELTE Gusztáv Bárczi Faculty of Special Education—Ferenc Kölcsey Protestant College (pp. 475-502)

[26] József Kovács: Ethical issues in randomized controlled clinical trials. Orvosi Hetilap, 1989, issue 18. (April 30, 1989) (pp. 923-927)

[27] József Kovács: Some ethical issues in psychiatric research. Psychiatria Hungarica XIX. vol. 2004/3 (pp. 200-214)

[28] József Kovács: Ethical problems in Hungarian legislation on research involving human subjects. Lege Artis Medicinae, Vol. 15, No. 5, May 2005 (pp. 408-410)

[29] József Kovács: Ethical issues in placebo-controlled research. Lege Artis Medicinae, Vol. 15, No. 7, July 2005 (pp. 569-575)

[30] József Kovács: Arguments for and against abortion. Világosság Vol. XXXIII. May 1992 (pp. 393-400)

[31] József Kovács: Abortion from a female perspective. The right to life and the right to self-determination. Magyar Nőorvosok Lapja (Hungarian Journal of Women Doctors) Vol. 55, Supplement, August 1992 (p. 24) (Written version of lecture)

[32] József Kovács (1992): Artificial abortion from the perspective of bioethics. In: Judit Sándor (1992) (ed.): Abortion and… Budapest: Literatura Medica Kft. (pp. 39-111)

[33] Jozsef Kovacs (1996): The idea of brain-birth in connection with the moral status of the embryo and the fetus. In: Donald Evans (ed.) (1996): Conceiving the Embryo. Ethics, Law and Practice in Human Embryology. The Hague—London—Boston: Martinus Nijhoff Publishers (pp. 221-245)

[34] Kovács, József (1997): Ethical issues surrounding artificial abortion. In: Kovács, József (1997, 1999, 2006): Fundamentals of modern medical ethics. Introduction to bioethics. (Second, revised edition) Budapest: Medicina Publishing House (p. 641) (pp. 293-348)

[35] Jozsef Kovacs: The Significance of Art in the Life of the Physician. The Journal of Medical Humanities. Vol. 14. No. 3. 1993 (pp. 113-122)

[36] József Kovács: The importance of the arts in the life of a doctor. Maintaining one’s medical persona as a moral obligation? Lege Artis Medicinae, vol. 3, no. 12, December 29, 1993 (pp. 1194-1202)

[37] József Kovács: The principle of informed consent to medical interventions in modern medical ethics. Part I. Lege Artis Medicinae, June 30, 1993. Vol. 3, No. 6 (pp. 590-597)

[38]József Kovács: The principle of informed consent to medical interventions in modern medical ethics. Part II. Lege Artis Medicinae, July 28, 1993. Vol. 3, No. 7 (pp. 688-696)

[39] József Kovács (1993): The principle of informed consent In: Katalin Hegedűs (1993) (ed.): Medical ethical dilemmas I-II. (Roundtable discussions at the Kossuth Club) (Written version of the lecture) Budapest: Condorcet Circle (pp. 33-39)

[40] József Kovács: Informed consent. In: József Kovács (1999, 2006): The foundations of modern medical ethics. An introduction to bioethics. (Second, revised edition) Budapest: Medicina Publishing House (p. 641) (pp. 127-156.)

[41] József Kovács: Bioethical principles for determining decision-making capacity. Fundamentum, 2000/2 (pp. 91-96)

[42] József Kovács: Euthanasia and bioethics. Világosság, XXXVI. Vol. July 1995 (pp. 28-40)

[43] József Kovács: The ethical dilemmas of euthanasia. Magyar Tudomány. 1996. Issue 7. (pp. 791-809)

[44] József Kovács: Human rights in the draft health care law. Comments from the perspective of bioethics. Fundamentum, 1997/1. (June 1997) (pp. 101-112)

[45] József Kovács: Ethical issues surrounding euthanasia and the withdrawal of life-sustaining treatment. Kórház, 1997. Vol. IV, No. 5 (pp. 9-12)

[46] József Kovács: Guidelines for the termination of life-sustaining treatment and the care of the dying. Excerpt from the guidelines developed by the Hastings Center working group. Part I.  In: Lege Artis Medicinae Vol. 8, No. 11, November 1998 (pp. 804-809) (review)

[47] József Kovács: Guidelines for the withdrawal of life-sustaining treatment and the care of the dying. Excerpt from the guidelines developed by the Hastings Center working group. Part II.  In: Lege Artis Medicinae Vol. 8, No. 12, December 1998 (pp. 896-903) (review)

[48] Kovács József (1993): The problem of informing patients about diseases with poor prognosis. In: Katalin Hegedűs (1993) (ed.): Medical ethical dilemmas I-II. (Roundtable discussions at the Kossuth Club) (Written version of the presentation) Budapest: Condorcet Circle (pp. 11-21)

[49] József Kovács (1994): Ethical problems of informing incurable patients. In: Katalin Hegedűs (1994) (ed.): Near death. For the dignity of the dying and death. Budapest: Hungarian Hospice Foundation (pp. 69-86) (Written version of lecture)

[50] József Kovács: Ethical issues related to informing cancer patients. Lege Artis Medicinae, vol. 7, no. 5 (May 1997) (pp. 360-363)

[51] József Kovács (1994): Justice in healthcare. Medical ethical issues of macroallocation in healthcare. Doctoral thesis. (Budapest)

[52] József Kovács: Ethical principles and practices of classification in today’s healthcare systems. Medicus Universalis. XXIX/7-8. (1996) (pp. 259-264)

[53] Ethics Committee of the  Hungarian Medical Chamber  (2020): Ethical considerations for the allocation of medical resources   during the COVID-19 pandemic in Hungary. https://mok.hu/koronavirus/tajekoztatok/etikai-megfontolasok-az-orvosi-eroforrasok-elosztasahoz-covid-19-pandemia-idejen-magyarorszagon

[54] Dr. József Kovács: Fundamentals of modern medical ethics. Introduction to bioethics. Budapest, 1997. Medicina Publishing House. (p. 629)

[55] József Kovács: Decision-making in the case of cancer in pregnant women. (Commentary written on request for the article of the same title by C. Schafer, P. Stadler, and B. Dietl) Orvostovábbképző Szemle (Medical Continuing Education Review) Vol. XI, No. 1, January 2004 (pp. 47-49)

[56] Act CLIV of 1997 on healthcare. (Eütv.)

[57] Dr. József Kovács: Foreword to the Hungarian edition. Foreword to the Hungarian edition of Peter Singer’s (2019) book Animal Liberation. (Budapest: Oriold és Társa). (pp. ix–xviii)

[58] Dr. József Kovács: Bioethical Issues in Psychiatry and Psychotherapy. 

Budapest, 2007. Medicina Publishing House (p. 677) Available in full for free at the following internet address: http://real-d.mtak.hu/347/

[59] Dr. József Kovács (2017) (ed.): Ethical issues in biotechnology. (E-book, Semmelweis Publishing House, www.semmelweiskiado.hu) (p. 287)

[60] Dr. József Kovács: Environmental ethics. Világosság  XLIX. volume 2008/9-10. (pp. 75-107)

[61] Dr. József Kovács: Risk, uncertainty, and the precautionary principle in biotechnology ethics. LAM 2009; 19(2):151-155.

[62] Dr. József Kovács (2017): Science, technology and ethics. In: Dr. József Kovács (2017) (ed.): Ethical issues in biotechnology. (E-book, Semmelweis Publishing House, www.semmelweiskiado.hu) (p. 287) (p. 19-69)

[63] Dr. József Kovács (2017): Ethical Issues in Human Research. In: Dr. József Kovács (2017) (ed.): Ethical Issues in Biotechnology. (E-book, Semmelweis Publishing House, www.semmelweiskiado.hu) (p. 287) (pp. 245-287.)

[64] Dr. József Kovács: Quality of life from the perspective of bioethics: theoretical problems. In: Mária Kopp—Mónika Erika Kovács (eds.) (2006): The quality of life of the Hungarian population at the turn of the millennium. Budapest: Semmelweis Publishing House. (pp. 20-23)

[65] Dr. József Kovács: The stigmatizing effect of psychiatric disorders and quality of life. In: Mária Kopp—Mónika Erika Kovács (eds.) (2006): The quality of life of the Hungarian population at the turn of the millennium. Budapest: Semmelweis Publishing House. (pp. 430-443)

[66] Dr. József Kovács (2008): Philosophical counseling. In: Mária Kopp (ed.) (2008): Hungarian mental state 2008. (Equal opportunities and quality of life in contemporary Hungarian society.) Budapest: Semmelweis Publishing House. (pp. 88-104.)

[67] Dr. József Kovács (2012): Ethical and Legal Issues in Psychotherapy. In: Zsolt Unoka—György Purebl—Ferenc Túry—István Bitter (eds.) (2012): Fundamentals of Psychotherapy. Budapest: Semmelweis Publishing House. (1-288) (pp. 266-273) ISBN: 978-963-331-230-8

[68] Gazdag Gábor—Asztalos Márton–Kovács József: Ethical questions in the clinical use and research of electroconvulsive therapy. (Ethical questions in the clinical use and research of electroconvulsive therapy.) 

Psychiatria Hungarica: Scientific journal of the Hungarian Psychiatric Association 12/2021; 36(4):536-45.

 

[69] Dr. József Kovács (2009): Legal and ethical issues in human research. In: Zsombor Kovácsy (2009) (ed.): The Great Handbook of Health Law. Budapest: Komplex Publishing House. (pp. 515-652)

[70] Dr. József Kovács (2012): Ethical issues in human research. In: Klára Törő—Péter Sótonyi (eds.) (2012): Ethical aspects of medical research: BME educational notes for students of the Master’s program in Health Engineering.  Budapest: BME Printer Kft. (3-192) (pp. 105-138) (university lecture notes)

ISBN: 978-963-313-044-5; ID: VIEVM-300

[71] 39. Dr. József Kovács: Some recent ethical dilemmas in randomized controlled clinical trials. Orvosi Hetilap (Medical Weekly) Vol. 149, No. 37. Sept. 14, 2008. (pp. 1753-1760.)

[72] Dr. József Kovács: The history of research on humans and its regulation from an ethical perspective. Lege Artis Medicinae (LAM) Vol. 22, No. 3, March 2012 (pp. 226-231) (LAM 2012;22(3):226-231

[73] Dr. József Kovács: Ethical aspects of health insurance. In: Orvostovábbképző Szemle, June 2007 (Vol. XIV, No. 6) (pp. 12-20)

[74] Dr. József Kovács (2012): The situation of patients’ rights from the perspective of bioethics. In: Beáta Borza (ed.) (2012): “Patient or Healthcare”. The situation of patient rights in a changing system, or who cares about patients? Conference publication of the Commissioner for Fundamental Rights. Budapest: Office of the Commissioner for Fundamental Rights (p. 202) (pp. 69-94)

[75] Jozsef Kovacs: Whose Identity Is It Anyway? Open Peer Commentary. The American Journal of Bioethics 9(1):44-45., 2009. 

[76] Dr. József Kovács: Fundamental Ethical Issues in Internal Medicine. Hungarian Internal Medicine Archive (Magy Belorv Arch) 2013;66:310-317.

[77] Dr. József Kovács (2016): Ethical Issues in Internal Medicine. In: Zsolt Tulassay (ed.) (2016): Fundamentals of Internal Medicine. (Fifth, revised edition) (pp. 7-2274.) Budapest: Medicina Publishing House Ltd. (pp. 107-112.)

[78] Dr. József Kovács: Informed consent in surgery. Magyar Sebészet 2014;67(1)3-8. DOI:10.1556/MaSeb.67.2014.1.1

[79] Dr. József Kovács: Current issues in psychiatric ethics. Psychiatria Hungarica  2015, 30 (1):27-34.

[80] Dr. József Kovács: Ethical issues related to screening for colon and rectal cancer. European Journal of Gastroenterology & Hepatology, Hungarian edition

Vol. XIII, No. 1 (February 2009) (p. 30.)

[81] Dr. József Kovács: Ethical issues in clinical psychology. Medical Education 2009. Vol. LXXXIV, Special Issue No. 3 (pp. 182-184)

[82] Dr. József Kovács: Ethical issues in clinical psychology and psychotherapy. Medical Education 2010. Vol. LXXXV, Special Issue No. 4 (pp. 384-387)

[83] Dr. József Kovács: Ethical issues in psychotherapy, Part I.  Lege Artis Medicinae (LAM) Vol. 22, No. 4. April 2012 (pp. 310-315) (LAM 2012;22(4):310-315)

[84] Dr. József Kovács: Ethical Issues in Psychotherapy, Part II.  Lege Artis Medicinae (LAM) Vol. 22, No. 5. May 2012 (pp. 388-391) (LAM 2012;22(5):388-391)

[85] Dr. József Kovács: Ethical dilemmas. “Reflections” column. Lege Artis Medicinae; 17(8-9): 519-521. (LAM Vol. 17, No. 8-9, September 2007) (pp. 519-521)

[86] Dr. József Kovács: Intentional morphine overdose in Hungary—Bioethical analysis. (commentary on Dr. Attila Márkus’s article of the same title) In: Lege Artis Medicinae Vol. 21, No. 4, April 2011 (pp. 310-314.)  (LAM 2011;21(4):306-320)

[87] Dr. József Kovács: Ethical aspects of “pseudosciences.” Magyar Tudomány, Vol. 177, No. 8, 2016. (pp. 956-967) http://www.matud.iif.hu/2016/08/11.htm

[88] Dr. József Kovács: General issues and bioethical implications of dealing with errors committed in healthcare. Lege Artis Medicinae (LAM) Vol. 28, No. 10, November 2018 (pp. 477-496) (LAM 2018;28 (10):477-496)

[89] Jozsef Kovacs: Honorary authorship epidemic in scholarly publications? How the current use of citation-based evaluative metrics make (pseudo)honorary authors from honest contributors of every multi-author article? (Journal of Medical Ethics Online First published on August 3, 2012.  as doi: 10.1136/medethics-2012-100568)

J Med Ethics 2013;39:509-512. doi. 10.1136/medethics-2012-100568

[90] Jozsef Kovacs: Response to the commentaries of Melissa S Anderson and Murray J Dyck. (Journal of Medical Ethics Online First published on October 4, 2012.  as doi: 10.1136/medethics-2012-101016)J Med Ethics,  August 2013 Vol 39. No. 8. (p. 515-516)

[91] Dr. József Kovács: The only “currency” in academic life. Interview with bioethicist Professor József Kovács by Péter Kakuk. (Interview by Péter Kakuk) In: Magyar Tudomány, 2015/8. (August 2015) (pp. 943-949.) (http://www.matud.iif.hu/2015/08/05.htm

[92] Jozsef Kovacs: Authorship problems and the distortion of research performance indicators. European Science Editing, February 2013;39(1)  (pp. 26-27.)

[93] Jozsef Kovacs: Honorary authorship and symbolic violence. Medicine, Health Care and Philosophy, 20(1), 51-59   (2017) Online First Published on  August 13, 2016. doi : 10.1007/s11019-016-9722-5.

[94] Fogarasi, István András;  Kovács, József ; Belicza, Éva    Certain special aspects of patient information prior to vaccination against human papillomavirus: Can something that is sometimes justified but not necessary be replaced by something that is necessary?  ORVOSI HETILAP 164 : 45  pp. 1795-1802. , 8 p.  (2023)

[95] Szilárd Dávid Kovács–Anggi Septia Irawan–Szilvia Zörgő–József Kovács: The conflict between oral health and patient autonomy in dentistry: a scoping review. BMC Med Ethics 25, 150 (2024). https://doi.org/10.1186/s12910-024-01156-3

[96] József Kovács: Ethical issues surrounding the discontinuation of ECMO treatment.  Medical Weekly, 2024; 165(4): 132–137.

[97] Dr. József Kovács: The issue of end-of-life decisions from a bioethical perspective. Fundamentum, Volume XXVIII, Issue 2-3, 2024. (pp. 36-49.) (http://www.fundamentum.hu) ISSN 1588-0508 (online)

[98] Dr. József Kovács: Philosophical, bioethical, and psychological issues surrounding end-of-life decisions.  Participant in a roundtable discussion at the workshop entitled “Philosophical and legal issues surrounding end-of-life decisions,” organized in connection with Dr. Dániel Karsai’s submission to the European Court of Human Rights (   ) entitled ”   .” Workshop organizer: Momentum Values and Science Research Group. Venue: Humanities Research Center (1097 Budapest, Tóth Kálmán u. 4, 5th floor room) Date: November 17, 2023

[99] Dr. József Kovács: “Ethical issues of active euthanasia.” Participant in a roundtable discussion at the “Conference on the dilemma of free end-of-life decisions.” (Post Mortem conference) Organizer: Momentum Party.   Venue: Chamber Hall of the Marczibányi Square Cultural Center. (1022 Budapest, Marczibányi Square 5/A) Date: February 8, 2024. Moderator of the roundtable discussion: Krisztina Bombera.

Participants in the roundtable discussion: Dr. József Kovács, physician and bioethicist; Gábor Iványi, Methodist pastor; Katalin Cseh, Member of the European Parliament, physician, and health economist; Judit Pogány, National Actress and lead actress in the Örkény Theater’s production of “God.”

The conference was broadcast live on the Momentum movement’s Facebook page.

 The entire discussion can be viewed on YouTube: “Post Mortem – Conference on the dilemma of free end-of-life decisions – Part 2” https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9EkBphPzL0g 

[100] Dr. József Kovács: Psychiatric euthanasia. Presentation at the conference entitled “Psychiatry-Society-Ethics.” (Conference of the Hungarian Academy of Sciences Momentum Research Group.) Venue: HUN-REN Humanities Research Center, Institute of Philosophy, 1097 Budapest, Tóth Kálmán u. 4. Trapeze Hall (7th floor) Date: October 3-4, 2024 (October 4, 2024, as a guest speaker)

A video recording of the presentation is available on YouTube at the following address:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CY_3l8tm7gA   

 

[101] Dr. József Kovács: The murky areas of psychiatric ethics. Plenary lecture at the 28th Annual Meeting of the Hungarian Psychiatric Association. Psychiatry in Hungary 2025. Science, Cooperation, Responsibility. As a guest speaker. (Location: Siófok, Azúr Hotel. Date: January 29-February 1, 2025.) (The lecture was given on January 31, 2025.)   Abstract available.

 

[102] Dr. József Kovács: Do you have the right to die? (Euthanasia: Taking Life and Death Seriously.)  As a participant in a roundtable discussion on the ethical, medical-ethical, and philosophical aspects of mercy killing. Participants: John Wyatt (University of Cambridge), Nigel Biggar (University of Oxford), József Kovács (Semmelweis University). Moderator: Márton Csapodi. Organizer: Dr. Kálmán Pócza, head of the Constitutional Policy Workshop at Mathias Corvinus Collegium. Venue: Mathias Corvinus Collegium, Scruton, (1113 Budapest, Tas vezér u. 3-7.) Date: February 15, 2024.  Available at: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Fmzb44zFxno

[103] Dr. József Kovács: Euthanasia is only possible in rich countries that follow the rules. Interview. (By Anna Danó). In: Népszava, October 16, 2023 (Monday), page 5.

[104] Dr. József Kovács: Ethical issues surrounding euthanasia. “Marathon.” Participant in a podcast roundtable discussion. (Other participants: Dr. Mihály Filó, Dr. Éva Kereszty).

Moderator-video journalist: Rebeka Bánszegi. (24.hu) Recorded on February 29, 2024.

The podcast is available at: https://24.hu/belfold/2024/03/23/eutanazia-kegyes-halal-karsai-daniel-maraton/ 

[105] Dr. József Kovács: Who has the right to decide on death? Interview. (Prepared by: Kira Kéky) In: Lélekemelő. (Psychiatric Magazine.) May 2025, Volume XVII, Issue 1. (pp. 4-6.)