The New Biology
Subtitle: Law, Ethics, and Biotechnology
By: by George P. Smith
Contributors: SpringerLink (Online service)
Published: 1989
Language: eng
Format: [electronic resource] :
Number of pages: 303
ISBN-13: 9781489908032
Subjects: Chemistry; Law, general; Biotechnology; Ethics; Law; Social sciences; Social Sciences, general
Description: Improvement of man's genetic endowment by direct ac­ tions aimed at striving for the positive propagation of those with a superior genetic profile (an element of which is commonly recognized as a high intelligence quotient) or-conversely-delimitation of those with negative genetic inheritance has always remained a pri­ mary concern of the geneticist and the social engineer. Genetic integrity, eugenic advancement, and a strong genetic pool designed to eliminate illness and suffering have been the benchmarks of the "Genetic Movement" and the challenge of Orwell's Nineteen Eighty-Four. If the quality of life can in some way be either im­ proved or advanced by use of the law, then this policy must be developed and pursued. No longer does the Dostoyevskian quest to give life meaning through suf­ fering become an inescapable given. By and through the development and application of new scientific advances in the field of genetics (and especially genetic engi­ neering), the real potential exists to prevent, to a very vii Preface viii real extent, most human suffering before it ever mani­ fests itself in or through life. Freedom to undertake re­ search in the exciting and fertile frontiers of the "New Biology" and to master the Genetic Code must be nur­ tured and maintained. The search for the truth inevi­ tably prevents intellectual, social, and economic stag­ nation, as well as-ideally-frees all from anxiety and fright. Yet, there is a very real potential for this quest to confuse and confound.
Table of contents: title: 1 Biotechnology: The Challenges and the Opportunities; title: 2 Law, Science, and the New Biology; title: 3 Medical, Legal, and Ethical Conundrums at the Edge of Life; title: 4 The Contemporary Influence of Genetics and Eugenics in Family Planning; title: 5 Organ Procurement and Transplantation: The Scope of the Problem; title: 6 El Dorado and the Promise of Cryonic Suspension; title: 7 AIDS: The Private and the Public Dilemmas; title: 8 Noble Death, Rational Suicide, or Self-Determination; title: 9 Procreational Autonomy: Values Gone Awry?; title: 10 The Case of the Orphan Embryos; title: 11 Science, Religion, and the New Biology; title: Epilogue: Rome Speaks; title: Notes.