This book introduces readers to important ethical issues that arise in the realm of genetic engineering. It provides the basic science and ethical analysis necessary to assess central issues confronting our society in this emerging area of research. At the end, readers will be able to formulate their own positions on these crucial issues. Chapter topics include professional and practical principles of conduct, the biological basics, from cell to test tube, the biology of genetic therapy, the limits of science, somatic gene therapy, enhancement, cloning, and germ line therapy. For individuals interested in the formal study of biomedical ethics.
Michael Boylan (Ph.D., University of Chicago) is professor of philosophy at Marymount University. He is the author of Basic Ethics, an essay on normative and applied ethics. He has also written or edited ten books in philosophy and has published over sixty articles.
Kevin Brown (M.D., Cambridge University), MRCP, FRCPath, is a Visiting Scientist at the National Institutes of Health. He has authored or co-authored over seventy articles and has lectured widely on his work concerning the role of viruses as agents of disease and tools for gene therapy.