The Genetic Revolution and Human Rights: The Oxford Amnesty Lectures 1998 [Paperback]

"This volume contains the 1998 Oxford Amnesty Lectures, addressing the human rights risks of the new genetics. The lectures discuss human cloning, privacy and health insurance, eugenic threats, concerns about distributive justice, and human rights issues in Africa. Contributors are Hilary Putnam, Ian Wilmut, Bartha Maria Knoppers, John Harris, Jonathan Glover, Hillel Steiner, and Solomon R. Benatar."--The Hastings Center Report
"As the twentieth century ends, we have hardly taken stock of what has happened during this century of biology. ... Fourteen essays are offered in response to cloning, reproductive technologies for the infertile, and the assorted screening and diagnostic (or possibly therapeutic) uses of the Human Genome Project. The essays were reviewed and critiqued by the contributors after presentation ... [T]here is an overview provided by Richard Dawkins that is not to be missed. It is brilliant, hilarious, and profoundly insightful. ... [T]his would be an excellent

Are eugenics practices morally defensible? Who should have access to genetic information about particular individuals? What dangers for cultural and racial diversity do developments in genetics pose? And how should scientific research be regulated and by whom? These are some of the questions addressed in this book, which comprises the 1998 Oxford Amnesty Lectures. The lecturers are all respected in their specific field, including Hilary Putnam, Ian Wilmut (co-creator of 'Dolly' the sheep), and Jonathan Glover. Each lecture is proceeded by a discussion article written by prominent lawyers, scientists, and philosophers, and a foreword has been written by Richard Dawkins. Fascinating and thought-provoking, this book is essential reading for all those interested in the future of genetics and humankind.

Justine Burley is Simon Fellow in the Department of Government at the University of Manchester, and is a part-time lecturer in Politics at Exeter College, Oxford. She is the editor of Ronald Dworkin and His Critics (1999, Blackwell) and (with John Harris) of A Companion to Genetics (1999, Blackwell). She is currently working on a monograph entitled Genetic Justice, which will be part of the forthcoming O.U.P. series, Issues in Biomedical Ethics.