Discover your next great read with our book reviews
Cover of The Ethics of Genetic Engineering

The Ethics of Genetic Engineering

by Roberta M. Berry

Book Details

Publisher:Routledge
Published:2013-05-13
Pages:245
Format:BOOK
Language:en

Reading Info

About This Book

Human genetic engineering may soon be possible. The gathering debate about this prospect already threatens to become mired in irresolvable disagreement. After surveying the scientific and technological developments that have brought us to this pass, The Ethics of Genetic Engineering focuses on the ethical and policy debate, noting the deep divide that separates proponents and opponents. The book locates the source of this divide in differing framing assumptions: reductionist pluralist on one sid

Our Review

This timely examination of genetic engineering's moral landscape arrives as scientific breakthroughs make human genetic modification increasingly feasible. Berry systematically maps the scientific foundations before diving into the contentious ethical debate that threatens to stall meaningful policy discussions. The book's core insight reveals how this stalemate stems from fundamentally different framing assumptions—reductionist pluralist perspectives versus competing worldviews—that shape how we interpret the very possibility of rewriting human biology.

What distinguishes this work is its refusal to simplify the complex moral terrain, instead providing readers with the conceptual tools to understand why conversations about genetic enhancement and therapy so often reach impasses. Teen readers and young adults confronting these emerging technologies will find Berry's analytical framework invaluable for cutting through polarized rhetoric. The book ultimately empowers readers to engage with one of the most consequential ethical questions of our time with greater clarity and intellectual rigor.

Themes

Medical

Subjects

Medical