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Contents

Cover

Dedication

Introduction

I Genetic engineering: tomorrow’s reality?
II Beneficence or precaution?
III Hitting the “re-set” button on debates about genetic engineering
IV What is virtue ethics?
V The pedagogical value of virtue ethics
VI Let’s cut to the chase: what conclusions do I make?
VII Why an introductory book on genetics and ethics?
Notes

1 Eugenics: Inherently Immoral?

I What is “eugenics”?
II Folic acid, vaccinations and water fluoridation: eugenics?
III The (unjust) eugenics of the past
IV Education and exercise: eugenics?
V From unintentional genetic modification to intentional genetic modification
Discussion questions
Notes

2 The Genetic Revolution: A Snapshot

I Introduction
II Historical thinkers
III Contemporary science
IV Behavioural genetics
V Genetic discrimination, gene patents and gene therapy
VI Clinical trials
VII How virtue ethics can help us navigate the complexity and provisionality of the genetic revolution
Discussion questions
Notes

3 Disease

I Introduction
II Why is there disease?
III Infectious disease
IV The challenge of our times: chronic disease
V Moving beyond “negative biology”
Discussion questions
Notes

4 Epigenetics

I Introduction
II Poverty
III Nature and nurture: the case of addiction
IV Future generations and the non-identity problem
Discussion questions
Notes

5 Reproductive Freedom

I Introduction
II Parental wellbeing
III Replacement fertility and patriarchy
IV Procreative beneficence: why not the best?
V Sex selection
Discussion questions
Notes

6 Aging Research and Longevity

I Introduction: global aging
II Positive biology and centenarians
III Isn’t exercise alone enough?
IV Intervening in the aging process
V Benevolence and justice: the case in favour of age retardation
VI Three concerns, vs. objections, to life extension
VII The priority of the young concern
VIII The concern about population size
IX Equal access concern
Discussion questions
Notes

7 Happiness, Memory and Behaviour

I The greatest happiness of the greatest number?
II Insulating soldiers from the emotional costs of war – virtue or vice?
III Modern warfare creates “unnatural” stressors
IV MADs: science fiction or the science of tomorrow?
V The “psychological immune system” and memory modification
VI Peace: a cheap and effective way to protect soldiers from the emotional costs of war
VII Modifying behaviour
Discussion questions
Notes

Conclusion

References

Index

End User License Agreement

The right of Colin Farrelly to be identified as Author of this Work has been asserted in accordance with the UK Copyright, Designs and Patents Act 1988.

First published in 2018 by Polity Press

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ISBN-13: 978-0-7456-9507-5

A catalogue record for this book is available from the British Library.

Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data

Names: Farrelly, Colin Patrick, author.
Title: Genetic ethics : an introduction / Colin Farrelly.
Description: Cambridge, UK ; Medford, MA, USA : Polity Press, [2018] | Includes bibliographical references and index.
Identifiers: LCCN 2018007933 (print) | LCCN 2018023953 (ebook) | ISBN 9780745695075 (Epub) | ISBN 9780745695037 | ISBN 9780745695044 (pb)
Subjects: LCSH: Human genetics--Moral and ethical aspects. | Genetic engineering--Moral and ethical aspects.
Classification: LCC QH438.7 (ebook) | LCC QH438.7 .F37 2018 (print) | DDC 174.2/96042--dc23
LC record available at https://lccn.loc.gov/2018007933

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Genetic Ethics

An Introduction