The merger of bioethics and epidemiology.

The merger of bioethics and epidemiology reflects the established idea that values are important for epidemiologic practice. It also reflects the more recent realization that standards of conduct are a timely addition to the profession. The thesis of this paper goes somewhat further and asserts that this merger represents an essential cornerstone in the foundation of a philosophy of epidemiology. Historical reflection reveals existing ontological and epistemological components to this same foundation. The union of bioethics and epidemiology suggests an important philosophical problem: selecting a method for unifying ethical and scientific reasoning. Solutions are proposed including: dialectic and critical rationalism.