Clinical research participation and the limits of moral obligation

I attempt to answer the question of whether human participation in clinical research morally necessary given that some clinical investigations are exploitative. Some bioethicists like Hans Jonas argue that the involvement or use of human subjects for clinical research is morally unjustifiable. I appeal to David Resnik’s medical efficacy thesis; John Harris’ moral obligation view; and the social responsibility thesis of Schaefer et al. to defend this view. However, I conclude that obligation to participate in clinical research is only pro tanto, because it is not an absolute requirement, as other weighty requirements might outweigh it.