Humanity enhanced : genetic choice and the challenge for liberal democracies / Russell Blackford.

Format:

Book

Author/Creator:

Blackford, Russell, 1954- author.

Series:

Basic bioethics

Language:

English

Subjects (All):

Genetic engineering--Moral and ethical aspects.

Genetic engineering.

Genomics--Moral and ethical aspects.

Genomics.

Rational choice theory--Political aspects.

Rational choice theory.

Human beings--Psychology.

Human beings.

Physical Description:

1 online resource (231 pages).

Place of Publication:

Cambridge, Massachusetts : The MIT Press, [2014]

System Details:

text file

Summary:

Emerging biotechnologies that manipulate human genetic material have drawn a chorus of objections from politicians, pundits, and scholars. In Humanity Enhanced, Russell Blackford examines them in the context of liberal thought, discussing the public policy issues they raise from legal and political perspectives. Some see the possibility of genetic choice as challenging the values of liberal democracy. Blackford argues that the challenge is not, as commonly supposed, the urgent need for a strict regulatory action. Rather, the challenge is that fear of these technologies has created an atmosphere in which liberal tolerance itself is threatened. Focusing on reproductive cloning, pre-implantation genetic diagnosis of embryos, and genetic engineering, Blackford takes on objections to enhancement technologies (raised by Jürgen Habermas and others) based on such concerns as individual autonomy and distributive justice. He argues that some enhancements would be genuinely beneficial, and that it would be justified in some circumstances even to exert pressure on parents to undertake genetic modification of embryos. Blackford argues against suppression of human enhancement, although he acknowledges that some specific and limited regulation may be required in the future. More generally, he argues, liberal democracies would demonstrate liberal values by tolerating and accepting the emerging technologies of genetic choice.

Contents:

1 Motivation and Overview 1

2 Human Enhancement and the Harm Principle 15

3 Genetic Engineering: What's the Harm? 31

4 A Threat to Autonomy? 51

5 Violating the "Natural Order" 79

6 Indirect and Intangible Harms 103

7 Fairness, Equality, and Distributive Justice 133

8 Policy Implications 171.

Notes:

OCLC-licensed vendor bibliographic record.

ISBN:

0262318539

9780262318532

OCLC:

881289028

Access Restriction:

Restricted for use by site license.