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Title: The LIVES TO COME
ISBN: 0684827050
Author:
Philip Kitcher
Publicate Date: 1997-08-04
Publish: 1997-08-04
List Price: $25.95
Average Customer Rating: 4.5
Format: Paperback
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Amazon Lowest New Price: $5.99
Amazon Lowest Used Price: $3.83
Amazon Merchant Price: $17.05
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| Customer Review: |
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1: Relevant, Nuanced, and Well Thought-Out
Philip Kitcher's The Lives to Come is a thorough, nuanced look at the moral and social issues surrounding new genetic technologies. Kitcher starts the book with clear explanations of the basic science of genes and genetic technology, making the book accessible to non-scientists, and laying the groundwork for the rest of the book. He then addresses questions about uses and misuses of genetic technologies, including genetic profiling, forensics, and gene therapy. He discusses philosophical dilemmas around "playing god", the idea of human nature, and the fear that unveiling mysteries about human biology will diminish our sense of meaning and abolish the notion of freewill. The real heart of the book is his delve into the topic of eugenics, which he calls "inescapable" with our current technology. He disambiguates the general concept from previous eugenic practices in Europe and the US, and lays out guidelines for a system of "utopian eugenics". These guidelines include personal decision-making, health education and counseling, and equal access to technologies. Though Kitcher's book was published almost a decade ago, the issues it explores are just as relevant--and unresolved--today. It remains one of the best explorations of the vital moral and social issues brought up by our rapidly increasing biotechnological capabilities.
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2: Cautious and responsible
This is a credible and sober work. Kitcher considers the expansion of gene- testing which is about to come , and its implications. He relates primarily to 'negative eugenics ' and the possibility of preventing disease and human suffering. He does not really speak about the more fantastic kinds of ' genetic engineering ' which would enhance humans.
The work was published ten years ago, and there has been great scientific progress in this time, including the mapping of the human genome. But most of the problems and questions here are still of great importance. And this book can provide valuable insight into them.
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3: Still Useful
Published approximately a decade ago, this book remains a clear, coherent discussion of the potential implications of genetic testing. Kitcher concentrates on genetic testing and 'negative eugenics,' the concept that prenatal testing can be used to reduce disease causing alleles. He also discusses other aspects of genetic knowledge, such as employment discrimination and similar topics. To his credit, Kitcher had a fairly realistic preception of the likely consequences of increased genetic knowledge and The Lives To Come avoids some of the more outre topics, such as enhancing human capacity, in favor of discussing more likely outcomes as increased prenatal testing. Kitcher also stresses that much genetic research is driven by the desire to understand disease processes with the hope of discovering non-eugenic, more traditionally medical interventions.
Because of the nature of the topic, he has to discuss emotionally loaded topics like abortion, fetal personhood, etc. He comes down on the side of a carefully qualified program of 'utopian' eugenics which permits access to abortion along with a strong commitment to aid families who decide to avoid abortion, and a good measure of careful public education. His discussions of a variety of topics are generally careful, thoughtful, consistent, and moderate in tone.
Its interesting to read this book in light of recent developments. Kitcher was conservative in terms of estimating what could would be learned about genetics of disease and human genetics in general. Sequencing of human and other species genomes, and the application of this knowledge has proceeded faster than he (and many others) anticipated. If anything, the development of better sequencing methods and other technologies will probably accelerate understanding of human genetic disorders in the next couple of decades. At the same time, there has been relatively little progress in converting this knowledge into more traditional medical approaches. With prenatal and other genetic testing gradually expanding, we are entering the era of eugenics that Kitcher (and many others) anticipated.
The social response, however, has not, at least in the USA, what Kitcher reasoned was appropriate. Kitcher argued well that just use of this technology would probably require some sort of universal health care guarantee, universal access to genetic testing, and a commitment to provision of services to families foregoing testing. Kitcher also had sensible prescriptions about employment and similar issues.
Kitcher probably wrote this book in hopes of kindling some public discussion and planning for the inevitable occurence of eugenics and widespread use of genetic information prior to its widespread implementation. This doesn't seem to have happened.
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4: Still relevant and useful
I use this book in a class covering biology and ethics. This is still the only book that I have found that addresses such a range of genetic ethical issues in an accessible way that doesn't overwhelm (or overly bore) students. I occasionally have to give students updates on where some of the technology is now (almost a dacade after the book was first published). In general students find it to be an enjoyable read as well as enlightening. I also thingk it is well written and is especially accessible to those with an interest in genetics who may not have a large amount of background. I wish an updated revised edition would be printed.
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5: content good but....
I like the content of the book as it kept to what it advertised, that is it focused on the social, morale, and emotional decisions that must be made to implement genetic technologies into a democratic society. The points were well covered and unambiguous.However I was definitly not pleased with the propensity towards extreme repetition. The same good ideas cycled through the book over and over again. This bothered me enough that I question the writer's motivation behind writing the book. Hopefully we're not just out there to fulfill our writing contracts? It makes for poor results.
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