A rose by any other name would smell as sweet…
30 Aug, 09 | by David Hunter
One thing I’ve been pondering lately is what we might use to refer to a gathering of bioethicists?
It seems to me people’s answer to this question might well be sociologically interesting. Take for example the response I received from a sociologist who I asked this question of, he was adamant that it would have to either be a “scare” or a “panic” of bioethicists…
In my darker moments thinking about the discipline myself I have come up with a couple of interesting suggestions including a “confusion”, a “chaos” and my favorite a “philophaster” of bioethicists.
But how about you, any interesting suggestions, how do you refer to a bunch of bioethicists?
Philophaster, eh? Is that a cheeky dig at anyone in particular? Woo, yay, and houpla for the Robert Burton reference, though.
I’d go for “an intoxication of bioethicists”. Or perhaps (and sadly) “a principle of bioethicists”.
Iain Brassington
August 30th, 2009 at 1:33 pm
“an intoxication of bioethicists”, hmm, tempted to make a comment about the Manchester crowd here but you now outnumber me on this blog *runs*
David Hunter
August 30th, 2009 at 10:14 pm
One of the first things I was told when I arrived at Manchester was that it probably isn’t a good idea to try to match certain members of the department drink for drink, and when the singalong turns to “Stairway to Heaven”, it’s probably a good time to go to bed (if you’ve not given up or collapsed hours beforehand anyway).
Which members of the department? Too many to name. Besides, I like my colleagues, and at least one of them’s a trained killer: I ain’t sayin’ nuthin’.
Iain Brassington
August 30th, 2009 at 10:35 pm
Too bad ‘exultation’ already applies to a collection of larks.
What about a “brace” of bioethicists? Their work — collectively speaking would be — bracing.
Tim Murphy
September 11th, 2009 at 4:55 pm
I apologize for what I’m about to write, but as a child I was fascinated by the names of animal groups.
So, in regard to the question of what term to use for a group of bioethicists, let me offer the following suggestions. I remind people of the term used for animals, then apply it to a particular kind of bioethicist, as I don’t think one term fits all.
Ascension (skylarks): bioethicists who wedge spirituality into every discussion
Battery (barracuda): bioethicists who specialize in neuroethics
Bloat (hippopotamuses): bioethicists who focus on the human body, especially the female body as subordinated to all things male
Charm (finches): bioethicists who have their local institutions completely under their spell
Cloud (tadpoles): bioethicists who are experts on research regulations and not afraid to demonstrate as much on any occasion
Colony (penguins): bioethicists who vacation summer in exotic locations to prep work in progress
Clutch (turkeys): tenured bioethicists
Confusion (weasels): bioethicists who can take any side of an issue and frequently do
Flutter (originally applied to butterflies): ambulance-chasing bioethicists.
Murder (crows): bioethicists who specialize in euthanasia, obviously
Mob (kangaroo): social welfare bioethicists
Rout (wolves): bioethicists who travel in conference-hopping packs
Study (owls): doctoral students who are all but dissertation
Scurry (squirrels): bioethicists who work for years prepping major works instead of publishing each passing though; now extinct
Troubling (goldfish): bioethicists who swan about in the media.
Now, let me show you how to use some of these terms in a sentence or three:
“NBC news carried interviews with a Troubling of bioethicists after the President’s speech last night.”
“In the coffee room, a sullen Study of bioethicists decried the grip Clutch bioethicists had on the job market. Just then a Rout of bioethicists headed to the airport rushed by.”
At the bar, a Confusion of bioethicists clinked their wine glasses in a toast to all Scurry bioethicists who made their cushy lives possible.”
Tim Murphy
September 11th, 2009 at 10:09 pm
May I add some additional groups of bioethicists to Tim’s list:
herd(antelope)bioethicists who would rather speak than write
sounder (boars) same as a herd
culture (bacteria) bioethicists who stick to each other
army (caterpillars)bioethicists who march to the same philosophy and fight the opposition
bed (clams)bioethicists who find a snooze improves their decision-making
brood (hens) bioethicists who have second thoughts
litter (pigs) the appearance of the professional office of certain ethicists
..Maurice.
Maurice Bernstein, M.D.
September 13th, 2009 at 1:27 am