Biotechnology and the Human Good
eBook - ePub

Biotechnology and the Human Good

  1. 224 pages
  2. English
  3. ePUB (mobile friendly)
  4. Available on iOS & Android
eBook - ePub

Biotechnology and the Human Good

About this book

Some of humankind's greatest tools have been forged in the research laboratory. Who could argue that medical advances like antibiotics, blood transfusions, and pacemakers have not improved the quality of people's lives? But with each new technological breakthrough there comes an array of consequences, at once predicted and unpredictable, beneficial and hazardous.

Outcry over recent developments in the reproductive and genetic sciences has revealed deep fissures in society's perception of biotechnical progress. Many are concerned that reckless technological development, driven by consumerist impulses and greedy entrepreneurialism, has the potential to radically shift the human condition—and not for the greater good. Biotechnology and the Human Good builds a case for a stewardship deeply rooted in Judeo-Christian theism to responsibly interpret and assess new technologies in a way that answers this concern.

The authors jointly recognize humans not as autonomous beings but as ones accountable to each other, to the world they live in, and to God. They argue that to question and critique how fields like cybernetics, nanotechnology, and genetics might affect our future is not anti-science, anti-industry, or anti-progress, but rather a way to promote human flourishing, common sense, and good stewardship.

A synthetic work drawing on the thought of a physician, ethicists, and a theologian, Biotechnology and the Human Good reminds us that although technology is a powerful and often awe-inspiring tool, it is what lies in the heart and soul of who wields this tool that truly makes the difference in our world.

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Yes, you can access Biotechnology and the Human Good by C. Ben Mitchell in PDF and/or ePUB format, as well as other popular books in Medicine & Biotechnology in Medicine. We have over one million books available in our catalogue for you to explore.

Index

The Abolition of Man (Lewis), 1, 27
abortion
choice and, 96
culture and, 179n9
disabled children and, 92, 96
violinist analogy for, 89–90, 178–79n4
accountability, 127, 155
Adleman, Leonard, 10
The Age of Spiritual Machines (Kurzweil), 42
aging, 77, 97–98
Alzheimer’s disease, 2
America as Second Creation (Nye), 17–19
American Society for Aesthetic Plastic Surgery, 142–43
androcentrism, 49–50
angels, 73
animal rights, 52
animals, nonhuman, 52, 62, 79
anthropocentrism, scientized, 103
anthropology, 25–27, 68, 131, 132
Aristotle, 116
artificial evolution, 41–42
artificial retinas, 6
Artificial Vision for the Blind, 5–6
Ashby, W. Ross, 4
assisted reproductive technology, 140
athletic performance, 123
ATP, 9–10
“At Woodward’s Garden” (Frost), 137
Aurelius, Marcus, 63
autonomy
bioethics and, 131
cybernetics and, 13
enhancement technologies and, 126
human dignity and, 62, 64, 66, 67, 79–80
axe narrative, 18
Bailey, Britt, 49–50
beauty, 141–42, 183n41
beaver story, 22
benefits, 61, 127, 149, 156
Berger, Peter, 173n6
Beyleveld, Deryck, 64–65, 66
Beyond Cloning (Cole-Turner), 139–40
Beyond Therapy (President’s Council on Bioethics), 119
the Bible. See also Christian theism; specific books of the Bible
on creation and the creator, 51–52
on creation in God’s image, 69–74, 76
on embryos, 77–78
as a guide for life, 145–46
on human dignity, 69–76, 79, 80–81, 86
on the material world, 53–54
on re-creation, 74–76
speciesism and, 79
on technology, 25–27
biocentric holism, 50
biocentric individualism, 50
biocentrism, environment...

Table of contents

  1. Cover Page
  2. Title Page
  3. Copyright Page
  4. Contents
  5. Preface
  6. Acknowledgments
  7. One The Rapidly Changing World of Biotechnology
  8. Two Humanity and the Technological Narrative
  9. Three Biotechnology and Competing Worldviews
  10. Four Biotechnology and Human Dignity
  11. Five Biotechnology and the Quest for Control
  12. Six Biotechnology, Human Enhancement, and the Ends of Medicine
  13. Seven Conclusion: Toward a Foundation for Biotechnology
  14. Notes
  15. Authors and Collaborators
  16. Index