Preparing for our enhanced future
| Abstract | (forthcoming) Journal of Medical Licensure and Discipline. Rapid advances in human genetics raise the prospect that one day we may be able to develop genetic enhancements to promote a diverse range of phenotypes (e.g. health, intelligence, behaviour, etc.). Perhaps the biggest challenge that genetic enhancements pose for medical practitioners is that they will compel us to re-think a good deal of the conventional wisdom of the status quo. Radical enhancements are likely to have this affect for a variety of reasons. Firstly, the status quo is premised (at least in large part) on a sharp distinction between treatment and enhancement; a distinction that at least some genetic enhancements will call into question. Secondly, the prospect of radical enhancements requires us to keep an open mind concerning how we conceive of the harm of non-intervention (i.e. the harm of the status quo). And thirdly, some enhancements might compromise the preservation of personal identity. All of these issues may have important consequences for State Medical Boards, ranging from the way we view the aspiration to prevent harm and ensure reasonable standards of care, to malpractice, continuing competency and medical specialization. | |||||||||
| Keywords | No keywords specified (fix it) | |||||||||
| Categories | ||||||||||
| Options |
|
|||||||||
Download options| PhilPapers Archive |
Upload a copy of this paper Check publisher's policy on self-archival Papers currently archived: 5,701 |
| External links |
  Try with proxy. |
| Through your library | Only published papers are available at libraries |
Similar books and articlesL. E. V. Ori (2011). Will Biomedical Enhancements Undermine Solidarity, Responsibility, Equality and Autonomy? Bioethics 25 (4):177-184.
Barbro FröDing (2011). Cognitive Enhancement, Virtue Ethics and the Good Life. Neuroethics 4 (3):223-234.
Colin Farrelly (2007). Virtue Ethics and Prenatal Genetic Enhancement. Studies in Ethics, Law, and Technology 1 (1).
Darren Shickle (2000). Are “Genetic Enhancements” Really Enhancements? Cambridge Quarterly of Healthcare Ethics 9 (03).
Thomas Douglas (2008). Moral Enhancement. Journal of Applied Philosophy 25 (3):228-245.
Larry A. Herzberg (2007). Genetic Enhancement and Parental Obligation. Philosophy in the Contemporary World 14 (2):98-111.
Allen Buchanan (2008). Enhancement and the Ethics of Development. Kennedy Institute of Ethics Journal 18 (1):pp. 1-34.
Alex Rajczi (2008). One Danger of Biomedical Enhancements. Bioethics 22 (6):328–336.
Analytics
Monthly downloads |
Added to index2009-01-28Total downloads14 ( #83,151 of 549,108 )Recent downloads (6 months)1 ( #63,361 of 549,108 )How can I increase my downloads? |
My notes
Discussion
