Genes and Morality
New Essays
Published on 1. January 1999
Book
Paperback/Softback
210 pages
978-90-420-0696-6 (ISBN)
Description
Most public discussion has focused on those effects of genetic research that are considered in some way unwanted or unpleasant. For example, there has been much debate concerning the risks and the ethical appropriateness of genetic screening, gene therapy, and agricultural applications based on genetic techniques. It often claimed that genetic research may cause new problems such as genetic discrimination, stigmatization, environmental risks, or mistreatment of animals.
Genes and Morality: New Essays adopts a critical attitude toward genetic research, on both a theoretical and a practical level. It presents some of the most important problems in the ethics of genetic engineering, including the questions of genetic health and disease, genetic testing, responsibility for health, patenting non-human and human life, and problems related to the disclosure of genetic information.
The aim of the book is to focus on real ethical and conceptual issues. Consider, for instance, the concept of genetic disease. As one of the contributors, Ingmar Poern, writes, fear of genetic disease, or anxiety, is not itself a disease any more than fear of becoming unemployed is a disease. Alleviating such emotions is not a medical task to be discharged by drug therapy.
The book also examines the philosophical foundations of these issues by discussing the most influential bioethical theories of today, including utilitarianism and principlism.
Genes and Morality: New Essays adopts a critical attitude toward genetic research, on both a theoretical and a practical level. It presents some of the most important problems in the ethics of genetic engineering, including the questions of genetic health and disease, genetic testing, responsibility for health, patenting non-human and human life, and problems related to the disclosure of genetic information.
The aim of the book is to focus on real ethical and conceptual issues. Consider, for instance, the concept of genetic disease. As one of the contributors, Ingmar Poern, writes, fear of genetic disease, or anxiety, is not itself a disease any more than fear of becoming unemployed is a disease. Alleviating such emotions is not a medical task to be discharged by drug therapy.
The book also examines the philosophical foundations of these issues by discussing the most influential bioethical theories of today, including utilitarianism and principlism.
Reviews / Votes
"As a whole, the book is an indispensable piece of secondary literature on John Harris's Wonderwoman and Superman and additionally contains interesting views on ethics and epistemology of genetics." - in: Medicine, Health Care and Philosophy: A European Journal, Vol. 4, No. 3 (2001)"Thoughtfully edited ... Has features not usually found in the recent plethora of books on ethics and genetics ...useful analyses ... [John] Harris develops an excellent, detailed argument that we owe equal health care opportunities to everyone, even if a lifestyle has contributed to someone's illness ... especially noteworthy is Angus Clarke's thorough rebuttal of the theory that, if people learn their risks of susceptibility to future disease, it as effective for such people to initiate risk-reducing behaviors." - in: Ethics, Vol. 111, No. 4 (July 2001)
"authoritative, easy to read, and pleasantly jargon-free" - in: Journal of Medical Ethics 26.6 (December 2000)
More details
Series
Language
English
Place of publication
Leiden
Netherlands
Publishing group
Brill
Target group
College/higher education
Product notice
Paperback (trade)
Unsewn / adhesive bound
Dimensions
Height: 234 mm
Width: 155 mm
Thickness: 13 mm
Weight
308 gr
ISBN-13
978-90-420-0696-6 (9789042006966)
Copyright in bibliographic data is held by Nielsen Book Services Limited or its licensors: all rights reserved.
Schweitzer Classification
Persons
Veikko Launis is Researcher at the Department of Philosophy of the University of Turku, Finland. He is currently working on a Ph.D thesis on the ethical foundation of the new genetics.
Juhani Pietarinen is Professor of Practical Philosophy at the University of Turku, Finland. He has published books and articles on various problems of inductive logic, social philosophy, ethics, and history of philosophy. He is currently interested in environmental philosophy and the classics of the seventeenth century.
Juha Raeikkae is Docent in Practical Philosophy at the University of Turku, Finland. His research interests include ethics, bioethics, social philosophy, and political theory.
Juhani Pietarinen is Professor of Practical Philosophy at the University of Turku, Finland. He has published books and articles on various problems of inductive logic, social philosophy, ethics, and history of philosophy. He is currently interested in environmental philosophy and the classics of the seventeenth century.
Juha Raeikkae is Docent in Practical Philosophy at the University of Turku, Finland. His research interests include ethics, bioethics, social philosophy, and political theory.
Content
Editorial Foreword. Acknowledgements. Introduction. PART I: METHODOLOGICAL AND THEORETICAL ISSUES. ONE Matti HAEYRY: What the Fox Would Have Said, Had He Been a Hedgehog: On the Methodology and Normative Approach of John Harris's Wonderwoman and Superman. TWO Ingmar PERSSON: Does It Matter When We Begin to Exist? THREE Sirkku Kristiina HELLSTEN: Can We Do Wrong by Bringing Children into Being? FOUR Torbjoern TAENNSJOE: Impersonal Morality: A Defense. FIVE Soren HOLM: Principles of Health Care Ethics: Solution or Problem? SIX Juha RAEIKKAE: On the Morality of Avoiding Information. PART II: PRACTICAL ISSUES. SEVEN John HARRIS: Genome Analysis and Responsibility for Health. EIGHT Ingmar POERN: Genetic Information and Care. NINE Anglus CLARKE: The Genetic Dissection of Complex Traits. TEN Rogeer HOEDEMAEKERS and Henk TEN HAVE: Genetic Health and Genetic Disease. ELEVEN Juhani PIETARINEN and Veikko LAUNIS: Patenting Non-Human and Human Life. TWELVE Christoph REHMANN-SUTTER: Hubris and Hybrids in the Myth of Frankenstein. Gregory L. FOWLER and Michael J. GARLAND: Translating the Human Genome Project into Social Policy: A Model for Participatory Democracy. Notes on Contributors. Index.