The price of perfection : individualism and society in the era of biomedical enhancement
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Bibliographic Information
The price of perfection : individualism and society in the era of biomedical enhancement
Johns Hopkins University Press, 2009
- : hardcover
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Includes bibliographical references and index
Description and Table of Contents
Description
Few would question the necessity of artificial limbs for amputees. But what of surgery to lengthen the legs of children who are merely shorter than average? Hardly anyone would challenge the decision to prescribe Aricept to people with dementia. But is it acceptable to give the same medication to airline pilots seeking sharper mental focus on long-haul flights? Humans have engaged in biological self-improvement since long before recorded history, from the impotence-curing wild lotus brew of the ancient Egyptians to the herbal energy drink favored by early Olympians. Now biomedical enhancements are pushing the boundaries of possibility and acceptability. Where do we draw the line? How do we know the true ramifications of pioneering medicine? What price are we willing to pay for perfection? Maxwell J. Mehlman's provocative examination of these issues speaks to fundamental questions of what it means to be human. He finds public officials ill-equipped to handle the ethical, scientific, and public policy quandaries of biomedical enhancement.
Instead of engaging difficult questions of morality, access, fairness, and freedom, elected officials have crafted toothless and counterproductive laws and regulations. Mehlman outlines policy options to boost the societal benefits and minimize the risks from these technologies. In the process, he urges the public to face the ethical issues surrounding biomedical enhancement, lest our quest for perfection compromise our very humanity.
Table of Contents
Introduction
1. The Technological Horizon
2. Self-Satisfaction
3. Social Reward
4. The Hegemony of Meritocracy
5. Access to Enhancements and the Challenge to Equality
6. Lack of Choice
7. Enhancements in Sports
8. The Lessons from Sports
9. The War on Enhancements
10. Promoting Safety, Efficacy, and Informed Decisionmaking
11. Protecting the Vulnerable
12. Access and Inequality
13. Abominations
14. Research on Enhancement
Conclusion
Notes
Index
by "Nielsen BookData"
