FutureBioethics:OvercomingTaboos,Myths,andDogmas

fewareasofpublicpolicyhavebeenfraughtwithasmuchcontroversyasbioethics.Eachnoveldevelopmentinbiomedicaltechnologyseemstosparkrancorousdisputes.Thoseaversetonewtechnologiesoftenexpresstheconcernthatthenewtechnologyis'unnatural'orrequiresusto'playGod'.Sloganssuchas'Frankenfoods'and'sanctityoflife'substituteforreasonedargument.Thisisanambitiousbookthatseekstoreframethedebatessurroundingcurrentcontroversiesinbioethics.Carefullyexamininganddissectingclaimsmadebymanypolicy-makersandethicistsontopicssuchasassistanceindying,geneticengineering,andembryonicstemcellresearch,bioethicistRonaldALindsayshowsthatalltoooftentheseclaimsarebasedoninstinctivereactions,beliefsthatlackfactualsupport,andreligiousorideologicaldogma.Afterdescribingindetailtheproperwaytoapproachandresolveadisputeinbioethics,Lindsayproceedstoanalyseseveraldifferentcutting-edgeissues.Throughhisinsightfulanalysis,Lindsaydemonstrateshowtoachievepragmatic,progressivesolutionstothesecontroversies.Anantidoteformisguidedthinking,"FutureBioethics"illuminatesthewayforwardtobioethicspoliciesappropriateforthe21stcentury.