Title:
Transhumanist dreams and dystopian nightmares : the promise and peril of genetic engineering / Maxwell J. Mehlman.
Author:
Mehlman, Maxwell J.
Publication Information:
Baltimore : Johns Hopkins University Press, 2012.
Call Number:
QH442 .M44 2012
Abstract:
The author considers the promises and perils of using genetic engineering in an effort to direct the future course of human evolution. He addresses the scientific and ethical issues between transhumanists and their challengers. He reveals that radical forms of genetic engineering could become a reality much sooner than many people think, and that we need to encourage risk management efforts. Whether scientists are dubious or optimistic about the prospects for directed evolution, they tend to agree that however long it takes to perfect the necessary technology, it is inevitable that humans will attempt to control their evolutionary future, and also, in the process of learning how to direct evolution, we are bound to make mistakes. Our responsibility is to learn how to balance innovation with caution.
ISBN:
9781421406695
Physical Description:
ix, 274 pages ; 24 cm.
Contents:
pt. 1. What is to come? : 1. Visions of heaven and hell ; 2. Thinking about the unthinkable -- pt. 2. The hazards of evolutionary engineering : 3. Physical harm to children ; 4. Psychosocial harm to children ; 5. Broader consequences for society ; 6. The end of the human lineage ; 7. Evolution by nature or by human design? -- pt. 3. Managing risk in evolutionary engineering : 8. Protecting the children ; 9. Preserving societal cohesion ; 10. Providing for our descendents ; 11. Safeguarding the human species.
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