![]() His grasp of the science is sound, and he manages for the most part to skirt the use of religious principles, which he acknowledges vary from religion to religion (and even within religions - consider the views of fundamentalist Christians versus those of more 'moderate' Protestants on the subject of abortion), relying instead on pitting what he terms "the ethic of willfulness and the biotechnological powers it has spawned" against "the ethic of giftedness". ![]() Strong words, but he defends them with tight logic and a thorough examination of the history and purpose of the technology. In each case, he concludes that such use is morally objectionable. He dissects four examples of the use of our new-found power of biotechnology: muscle enhancement memory enhancement growth-hormone treatment and reproductive technologies that allow parents to choose the sex and some genetic traits of their children. In this essay, with characteristically clear and penetrating analysis, he argues that "the genomic revolution has induced a kind of moral vertigo", and that we are right to be troubled by such issues as human cloning and genetic engineering for improved human characteristics and performance. ![]() Bush established to make recommendations concerning stem-cell research, among other issues. He is a member of The President's Council on Bioethics, which George W. Bass Professor of Government at Harvard University (where he teaches moral philosophy), is one of the deepest thinkers of this generation. Sandel's article, 'The Case Against Perfection', in the April 2004 issue of The Atlantic Monthly. On viewing this you can judge for yourself whether risking a copyright battle with the BBC et al was/is worth it.Anyone who cares about the moral and social implications of genomics, genetic engineering and biotechnology should read Michael J. I struggled to find this show on the web, and the copies on Youtube when I last viewed them were awful. The title is also a clever allusion to Charles Darwin's second book on evolution, The Descent of Man. Unfortunately it never quite received the same attention as Cosmos and Carl Sagan - a show which, incidentally, was produced by the guy (Adrian Malone) seven years later. Not many people know about this incredible series, lesser still of the wonderful host. This series received serious acclaim for its accessibility to the layman (in large-part due to Bronowski's skillful, elegant, incisive storytelling ability) and the wide-range and quality of the location shoots. The series is based on a namesake book by Bronowski in which he tells the fascinating and quite unbelievable story of the development of civilisation as we today know it - that is, the story of The Ascent of Man. (1 / 13)įirst aired in 1973, The Ascent of Man is a 13-part documentary series written and presented by the brilliant Dr Jacob Bronowski, and produced by the BBC. Lower Than The Angels Evolution of humans from proto-ape to the modern form 400,000 years ago.
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