Abstract
The direction of concern regarding bioethics and the depth of understanding of lecture material among students who took the course "Buddhism and Bioethics" were investigated in the present survey. Data were collected by self-description to enable students to freely express their views and analyzed using the KJ method. A total of 200 "distinct paragraphs" were identified from the descriptive data for 139 subjects. In addition, following inductive analysis, these "distinct paragraphs" were classified into nine categories, including "genetic testing and genetic research", "developments and advances in medicine", and "organ transplantation and organ sale". Descriptions focused mainly on arguments for and against each item, and the results suggested that most students who withheld their views or were "unsure" about or had difficulty making a judgment came to their conclusion following sufficient thought processes, rather than as a result of insufficient thinking. Although 30% of respondents were students from the Buddhist Studies department, descriptions regarding "religion" were rarely mentioned. Descriptions relating to expertise in the major were also uncommon due to the fact that most of the respondents were first-year students. These findings indicate that lower classmen also have their individual perspectives on bioethical issues.
