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Obituary of
Professor Tom L. Beauchamp

With the death of Professor Tom L. Beauchamp on 19 February 2025, the world has lost one of the most influential bioethicists of our time. As Professor of Philosophy and Senior Research Scholar at the Kennedy Institute of Ethics at Georgetown University, he had a lasting impact on the bioethical landscape.

Since its foundation, the DRZE has been closely associated with Tom L. Beauchamp and the Kennedy Institute in bioethical research and the realisation of the literature database BELIT.

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from left to right: J. Childress, T. Beauchamp, D. Lanzerath © DRZE

Obituary of
Professor Tom L. Beauchamp

Beauchamp_Nachruf_2025.png
from left to right: J. Childress, T. Beauchamp, D. Lanzerath © DRZE

With the death of Professor Tom L. Beauchamp on 19 February 2025, the world has lost one of the most influential bioethicists of our time. As Professor of Philosophy and Senior Research Scholar at the Kennedy Institute of Ethics at Georgetown University, he had a lasting impact on the bioethical landscape.

Since its foundation, the DRZE has been closely associated with Tom L. Beauchamp and the Kennedy Institute in bioethical research and the realisation of the literature database BELIT.

Beauchamp was born in Austin, Texas, in 1939. After receiving his bachelor’s degree from Southern Methodist University in 1963, he earned degrees from Yale Divinity School and a doctorate in philosophy from Johns Hopkins University in 1970. That same year, he joined the faculty at Georgetown University and became a researcher at the Kennedy Institute of Ethics. His involvement with the National Commission for the Protection of Human Subjects of Biomedical and Behavioural Research led to his contribution to the landmark 1978 Belmont Report, which established ethical principles for human subjects research (respect for persons, beneficence and justice) and is incorporated into the US National Research Act.

Beauchamp and James F. Childress published the work ‘Principles of Biomedical Ethics’ in 1979. This book introduced the four central principles of bioethics: autonomy, nonmaleficence, beneficence and justice. It quickly became a standard work and had gone through eight editions by 2019. In 2024, this important work was translated into German for the first time under the title ‘Prinzipien der Bioethik’, a project that was realised at the German Reference Centre for Ethics in the Life Sciences (DRZE). The ceremonial handover of the translation to James F. Childress took place as part of the DRZE anniversary celebrations.

In addition to bioethics, Beauchamp’s research interests also included animal ethics and the philosophy of David Hume. He was co-author of ‘The Human Use of Animals’ (1998) and co-editor of the ‘Oxford Handbook of Animal Ethics’ (2011). He also contributed to Hume research as editor of several volumes of the critical edition of Hume’s philosophical works.

Beauchamp received numerous honours for his outstanding contributions, including the Lifetime Achievement Award from the American Society of Bioethics and Humanities in 2004 and the Career Recognition Award from Georgetown University for his significant research achievements in 2003.

Tom L. Beauchamp leaves behind an impressive scientific legacy that has had a lasting influence on bioethics and related disciplines. The DRZE is indebted to him and will remain connected to him and his family after his death.