Genetic Democracy: Philosophical Perspectives

Front Cover
Veikko Launis, Juha Räikkä
Springer Science & Business Media, 2007 M12 20 - 148 pages

“Genetic Democracy” involves an in-depth analysis of the ethical, social and philosophical issues related to modern genetic research and gene technology. The aim of the book is to introduce systematic research on the social and ethical impacts of the use and development of genetically modified organisms (GMOs) as well as the acquisition, use and storage of human genetic information (HGI). The book contributes to enhancing public discussion and reaching fair and democratic decision-making practices in GMO and HGI use and development both on local and global level.

There are currently few European texts which address the issues involved in a theoretical and systematical manner. “Genetic Democracy” has been written from the viewpoint of social and political philosophy rather than that of traditional bioethics. There is a clear need for a throughout and authoritative philosophical and ethical analysis of the issues involved in genetic research and gene technology. The book will appeal to philosophers, social scientists, genetics professionals, policy makers, academics, industrial organisations and human rights organisations as well as university students and legal scholars. The book will have a broad appeal across Europe, Asia and America since many states are currently considering policy responses to many of the practices discussed in the books (e.g., human biobanks).

From inside the book

Contents

The Prerequisites for Genetic Democracy
9
Ethical Expertise in Democratic Societies
21
The UNESCO Universal Declaration
30
Autonomy and Genetic Privacy
43
Against Radicalism
53
The Precautionary Principle and the Risks of Modern AgriBiotechnology
75
Population Databanks and Democracy in Light of the Icelandic Experience
93
Vilhjálmur Árnason and Stefán Hjörleifsson
105
Genetic Resources Genetic Democracy and Genetic Equity
121
Moral Constraints on Permissible Genetic Design
133
Copyright

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Page 71 - Act in such a way that you always treat humanity, whether in your own person or in the person of any other, never simply as a means, but always at the same time as an end.
Page 41 - The enjoyment of the highest attainable standard, of health is one of the fundamental rights of every human being without distinction of race, religion, political belief, economic or social condition.
Page 94 - And we define: the democratic method is that institutional arrangement for arriving at political decisions in which individuals acquire the power to decide by means of a competitive struggle for the people's vote.
Page 28 - For the many, of whom each individual is but an ordinary person, when they meet together may very likely be better than the few good, if regarded not individually but collectively, just as a feast to which many contribute is better than a dinner provided out of a single purse.
Page 79 - The Parties should take precautionary measures to anticipate, prevent or minimize the causes of climate change and mitigate its adverse effects, where there are threats of serious or irreversible damage, lack of full scientific certainty should not be used as a reason for postponing such measures...
Page 79 - When an activity raises threats of harm to human health or the environment, precautionary measures should be taken even if some cause and effect relationships are not fully established scientifically.
Page ii - DAVID N. WEISSTUB, Universite de Montreal, Canada THOMASINE KIMBROUGH KUSHNER, University of California, Berkeley, USA Editor DAVID N. WEISSTUB, Universite de Montreal, Canada Editorial Board TERRY CARNEY, University of Sydney, Australia MARCUS DUWELL, Utrecht University, Utrecht, the Netherlands S0REN HOLM, University of Cardiff, Wale s.
Page ii - GERRIT K. KIMSMA, Vrije Universiteit, Amsterdam, the Netherlands DAVID NOVAK, University of Toronto, Canada EDMUND D. PELLEGRINO, Georgetown University, Washington DC, USA DOM RENZO PEGORARO, Fondazione Lanza and University of Padua, Italy DANIEL P.
Page 122 - A century has elapsed since the invention of the steam engine, and we are only just beginning to feel the depths of the shock it gave us. But the revolution it has effected in industry has nevertheless upset human relations altogether. New ideas are arising, new feelings are on the way to flower. In thousands of years, when, seen from the distance, only the broad lines of the present age will still be visible, our wars and our revolutions will count for little, even supposing they are remembered...
Page 28 - Hence the many are better judges than a single man of music and poetry; for some understand one part, and some another, and among them, they understand the whole.

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