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Kakuk P, Sándor J. Mapping the postwar legacies of eugenics in socialist countries: a conceptual history of eugenics in Hungary. MEDICINE, HEALTH CARE, AND PHILOSOPHY 2024; 27:431-443. [PMID: 39014106 PMCID: PMC11310220 DOI: 10.1007/s11019-024-10218-7] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 07/05/2024] [Indexed: 07/18/2024]
Abstract
The paper aims to understand the various legacies of eugenics in the postwar period to recognize both the continuities and discontinuities of eugenics with an approach which is both conceptually sound and historically correct. Building on earlier work of Lene Koch, the paper endeavours to chart the historical trajectory of eugenics by examining how its definition and those of its related or oppositional concepts have evolved within selected lexicon entries across various stages of the century. The inclusion and publication of a concept within a lexicon indicate its significance, linguistic vitality, and prevalence in public discourse. These entries serve as a window into the contemporary understanding and application of concepts over an entire century, offering insights into the practices of eugenics as interpreted by the authoritative scholars of the era. Additionally, these lexicon entries offer more than just a mirror to the past's prevailing attitudes. The very act of articulating a concept may be viewed as a pivotal element in social struggles, influencing the course of eugenic practices and their interpretations. Both conceptual history and discourse analysis share common ground in their perception of concepts, considering the use of language as a social activity endowed with performative capabilities. They recognize that language does not merely reflect reality but can actively shape it, playing a significant role in societal dynamics and power relations. The Hungarian lexicon entries on eugenics reveal notable disparities in the identified content, the periodization, and the evolution of changes when compared to Lene Koch's earlier study on Scandinavian eugenics. In Hungary, the concept of eugenics underwent significant changes over four successive periods. The history and interpretation of eugenics can vary significantly from one country to another. Different nations have had their unique experiences and trajectories with the eugenics movement, which have been shaped by their specific cultural, political, and social contexts. These variations emphasize the importance of considering the localized and historical perspectives when examining the concept of eugenics.
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Affiliation(s)
- Péter Kakuk
- Center for Ethics and Law in Biomedicine, Central European University, Nádor u. 9, FT 708. 1051, Budapest, Hungary.
| | - Judit Sándor
- Center for Ethics and Law in Biomedicine, Central European University, Nádor u. 9, FT 708. 1051, Budapest, Hungary
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Zou Y. Genetic enhancement from the perspective of transhumanism: exploring a new paradigm of transhuman evolution. MEDICINE, HEALTH CARE, AND PHILOSOPHY 2024:10.1007/s11019-024-10224-9. [PMID: 39196465 DOI: 10.1007/s11019-024-10224-9] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 08/05/2024] [Indexed: 08/29/2024]
Abstract
Transhumanism is a movement that advocates for the enhancement of human capabilities through the use of advanced technologies such as genetic enhancement. This article explores the definition, history, and development of transhumanism. Then, it compares the stance on genetic enhancement from the perspectives of bio-conservatism, bio-liberalism, and transhumanism. This article posits that transhuman evolution has twofold implications, allowing for the integration of transhumanist research and evolutionary biology. First, it offers a compelling scientific framework for understanding genetic enhancement, avoiding technological progressivism, and incorporating concepts of evolutionary biology. Second, it represents a new evolutionary paradigm distinct from traditional Lamarckism and Darwinism. It marks the third synthesis of evolutionary biology, offering fresh perspectives on established concepts such as artificial selection and gene-culture co-evolution. In recent decades, human enhancement has captivated not only evolutionary biologists, neurobiologists, psychologists, and philosophers, but also those in fields such as cybernetics and artificial intelligence. In addition to genetic enhancement, other human enhancement technologies, including brain-computer interfaces and brain uploading, are currently under development, which the paradigm of transhuman evolution can better integrate into its framework.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yawen Zou
- Institute of Humanities, ShanghaiTech University, 393 Huaxia Middle Road, Pudong District, Shanghai, 201210, P.R. China.
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Livanis E, Voultsos P, Vadikolias K, Pantazakos P, Tsaroucha A. Understanding the Ethical Issues of Brain-Computer Interfaces (BCIs): A Blessing or the Beginning of a Dystopian Future? Cureus 2024; 16:e58243. [PMID: 38745805 PMCID: PMC11091939 DOI: 10.7759/cureus.58243] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 04/14/2024] [Indexed: 05/16/2024] Open
Abstract
In recent years, scientific discoveries in the field of neuroscience combined with developments in the field of artificial intelligence have led to the development of a range of neurotechnologies. Advances in neuroimaging systems, neurostimulators, and brain-computer interfaces (BCIs) are leading to new ways of enhancing, controlling, and "reading" the brain. In addition, although BCIs were developed and used primarily in the medical field, they are now increasingly applied in other fields (entertainment, marketing, education, defense industry). We conducted a literature review following the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses (PRISMA) guidelines to provide background information about ethical issues related to the use of BCIs. Among the ethical issues that emerged from the thematic data analysis of the reviewed studies included questions revolving around human dignity, personhood and autonomy, user safety, stigma and discrimination, privacy and security, responsibility, research ethics, and social justice (including access to this technology). This paper attempts to address the various aspects of these concerns. A variety of distinct ethical issues were identified, which, for the most part, were in line with the findings of prior research. However, we identified two nuances, which are related to the empirical research on ethical issues related to BCIs and the impact of BCIs on international relationships. The paper also highlights the need for the cooperation of all stakeholders to ensure the ethical development and use of this technology and concludes with several recommendations. The principles of bioethics provide an initial guiding framework, which, however, should be revised in the current artificial intelligence landscape so as to be responsive to challenges posed by the development and use of BCIs.
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Affiliation(s)
- Efstratios Livanis
- Department of Accounting and Finance, University of Macedonia, Thessaloniki, GRC
- Postgraduate Program on Bioethics, School of Medicine, Democritus University of Thrace, Alexandroupoli, GRC
| | - Polychronis Voultsos
- Laboratory of Forensic Medicine & Toxicology (Medical Law and Ethics) School of Medicine, Faculty of Health Sciences, Aristotle University of Thessaloniki, Thessaloniki, GRC
- Postgraduate Program on Bioethics, School of Medicine, Democritus University of Thrace, Alexandroupoli, GRC
| | - Konstantinos Vadikolias
- Postgraduate Program on Bioethics, School of Medicine, Democritus University of Thrace, Alexandroupoli, GRC
- Department of Neurology, University Hospital of Alexandroupolis, Alexandroupoli, GRC
| | - Panagiotis Pantazakos
- Department of Philosophy, School of Philosophy, National and Kapodistrian University of Athens, Athens, GRC
- Postgraduate Program on Bioethics, School of Medicine, Democritus University of Thrace, Alexandroupoli, GRC
| | - Alexandra Tsaroucha
- Postgraduate Program on Bioethics, School of Medicine, Democritus University of Thrace, Alexandroupoli, GRC
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Johnson EA, Dudding KM, Carrington JM. When to err is inhuman: An examination of the influence of artificial intelligence-driven nursing care on patient safety. Nurs Inq 2024; 31:e12583. [PMID: 37459179 DOI: 10.1111/nin.12583] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/14/2023] [Revised: 07/05/2023] [Accepted: 07/09/2023] [Indexed: 01/18/2024]
Abstract
Artificial intelligence, as a nonhuman entity, is increasingly used to inform, direct, or supplant nursing care and clinical decision-making. The boundaries between human- and nonhuman-driven nursing care are blurred with the advent of sensors, wearables, camera devices, and humanoid robots at such an accelerated pace that the critical evaluation of its influence on patient safety has not been fully assessed. Since the pivotal release of To Err is Human, patient safety is being challenged by the dynamic healthcare environment like never before, with nursing at a critical juncture to steer the course of artificial intelligence integration in clinical decision-making. This paper presents an overview of artificial intelligence and its application in healthcare and highlights the implications which affect nursing as a profession, including perspectives on nursing education and training recommendations. The legal and policy challenges which emerge when artificial intelligence influences the risk of clinical errors and safety issues are discussed.
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Affiliation(s)
- Elizabeth A Johnson
- Mark & Robyn Jones College of Nursing, Montana State University, Bozeman, Montana, USA
| | - Katherine M Dudding
- Department of Family, Community, and Health Systems, UAB School of Nursing, The University of Alabama at Birmingham, Birmingham, Alabama, USA
| | - Jane M Carrington
- Department of Family, Community and Health System Science, University of Florida College of Nursing, Gainesville, Florida, USA
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Cherry MJ, Fan R. Whole-Body/Head Transplantation: Personal Identity, Experimental Surgery, and Bioethics. THE JOURNAL OF MEDICINE AND PHILOSOPHY 2022. [DOI: 10.1093/jmp/jhab046] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/12/2022] Open
Abstract
Abstract
This issue of The Journal of Medicine and Philosophy brings together an international group of scholars from Hong Kong, Mainland China, and North America, critically to explore whole-body/head transplantation. The proposed procedure raises significant philosophical, ethical, and social/political questions. For example, assuming transplant is successful, who survives the surgery? Does personal identity necessarily follow the head? The contributors to this special thematic issue explore the nature and ground of personal identity, what it would mean to preserve personal identity, given such a significant set of physical changes, as well as the morality of such a procedure. As the authors make clear, careful conceptual philosophical analysis is essential for understanding whether whole-body/head transplantation is a life-saving/life-enhancing technological innovation, or a bioethical morass that should not be attempted. How we come to terms with such conceptual and moral concerns will have a significant impact on the future of medicine and medical technological innovation.
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Chen S, Locsin RC. The realities of being: A commentary on human wholeness in nursing. Nurs Inq 2022; 29:e12488. [PMID: 35263003 DOI: 10.1111/nin.12488] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/07/2022] [Accepted: 02/13/2022] [Indexed: 11/26/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Shuhai Chen
- School of Medicine Institute of Biomedical Sciences, Tokushima University, Tokushima, Japan
| | - Rozzano C Locsin
- Graduate School of Biomedical Sciences, Tokushima University, Tokushima, Japan
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Mattar CNZ, Labude MK, Lee TN, Lai PS. Ethical considerations of preconception and prenatal gene modification in the embryo and fetus. Hum Reprod 2021; 36:3018-3027. [PMID: 34665851 DOI: 10.1093/humrep/deab222] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/03/2021] [Revised: 09/08/2021] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
The National Academies of Sciences and Medicine 2020 consensus statement advocates the reinstatement of research in preconception heritable human genome editing (HHGE), despite the ethical concerns that have been voiced about interventions in the germline, and outlines criteria for its eventual clinical application to address monogenic disorders. However, the statement does not give adequate consideration to alternative technologies. Importantly, it omits comparison to fetal gene therapy (FGT), which involves gene modification applied prenatally to the developing fetus and which is better researched and less ethically contentious. While both technologies are applicable to the same monogenic diseases causing significant prenatal or early childhood morbidity, the benefits and risks of HHGE are distinct from FGT though there are important overlaps. FGT has the current advantage of a wealth of robust preclinical data, while HHGE is nascent technology and its feasibility for specific diseases still requires scientific proof. The ethical concerns surrounding each are unique and deserving of further discussion, as there are compelling arguments supporting research and eventual clinical translation of both technologies. In this Opinion, we consider HHGE and FGT through technical and ethical lenses, applying common ethical principles to provide a sense of their feasibility and acceptability. Currently, FGT is in a more advanced position for clinical translation and may be less ethically contentious than HHGE, so it deserves to be considered as an alternative therapy in further discussions on HHGE implementation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Citra Nurfarah Zaini Mattar
- Experimental Fetal Medicine Group, Department of Obstetrics and Gynaecology, Yong Loo Lin School of Medicine, National University of Singapore, Singapore, Singapore.,Department of Obstetrics and Gynaecology, National University Health System, Singapore, Singapore
| | - Markus Klaus Labude
- Science, Health and Policy-Relevant Ethics in Singapore (SHAPES) Initiative, Centre for Biomedical Ethics, Yong Loo Lin School of Medicine, National University of Singapore, Singapore, Singapore
| | - Timothy Nicholas Lee
- Science, Health and Policy-Relevant Ethics in Singapore (SHAPES) Initiative, Centre for Biomedical Ethics, Yong Loo Lin School of Medicine, National University of Singapore, Singapore, Singapore
| | - Poh San Lai
- Department of Paediatrics, Yong Loo Lin School of Medicine, National University of Singapore, Singapore, Singapore
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Abstract
Artificial intelligence (AI) ethics is a field that has emerged as a response to the growing concern regarding the impact of AI. It can be read as a nascent field and as a subset of the wider field of digital ethics, which addresses concerns raised by the development and deployment of new digital technologies, such as AI, big data analytics, and blockchain technologies. The principle aim of this article is to provide a high-level conceptual discussion of the field by way of introducing basic concepts and sketching approaches and central themes in AI ethics. The first part introduces concepts by noting what is being referred to by "AI" and "ethics", etc.; the second part explores some predecessors to AI ethics, namely engineering ethics, philosophy of technology, and science and technology studies; the third part discusses three current approaches to AI ethics namely, principles, processes, and ethical consciousness; and finally, the fourth part discusses central themes in translating ethics in to engineering practice. We conclude by summarizing and noting the inherent interdisciplinary future directions and debates in AI ethics.
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Affiliation(s)
- Emre Kazim
- Computer Science, University College London, Gower St, London WC1E 6EA, UK
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Piergentili R, Del Rio A, Signore F, Umani Ronchi F, Marinelli E, Zaami S. CRISPR-Cas and Its Wide-Ranging Applications: From Human Genome Editing to Environmental Implications, Technical Limitations, Hazards and Bioethical Issues. Cells 2021; 10:cells10050969. [PMID: 33919194 PMCID: PMC8143109 DOI: 10.3390/cells10050969] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/31/2021] [Revised: 04/18/2021] [Accepted: 04/19/2021] [Indexed: 12/14/2022] Open
Abstract
The CRISPR-Cas system is a powerful tool for in vivo editing the genome of most organisms, including man. During the years this technique has been applied in several fields, such as agriculture for crop upgrade and breeding including the creation of allergy-free foods, for eradicating pests, for the improvement of animal breeds, in the industry of bio-fuels and it can even be used as a basis for a cell-based recording apparatus. Possible applications in human health include the making of new medicines through the creation of genetically modified organisms, the treatment of viral infections, the control of pathogens, applications in clinical diagnostics and the cure of human genetic diseases, either caused by somatic (e.g., cancer) or inherited (mendelian disorders) mutations. One of the most divisive, possible uses of this system is the modification of human embryos, for the purpose of preventing or curing a human being before birth. However, the technology in this field is evolving faster than regulations and several concerns are raised by its enormous yet controversial potential. In this scenario, appropriate laws need to be issued and ethical guidelines must be developed, in order to properly assess advantages as well as risks of this approach. In this review, we summarize the potential of these genome editing techniques and their applications in human embryo treatment. We will analyze CRISPR-Cas limitations and the possible genome damage caused in the treated embryo. Finally, we will discuss how all this impacts the law, ethics and common sense.
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Affiliation(s)
- Roberto Piergentili
- Institute of Molecular Biology and Pathology, Italian National Research Council (CNR-IBPM), 00185 Rome, Italy;
| | - Alessandro Del Rio
- Department of Anatomical, Histological, Forensic, and Orthopedic Sciences, Sapienza University of Rome, 00161 Rome, Italy; (F.U.R.); (E.M.); (S.Z.)
- Correspondence: or
| | - Fabrizio Signore
- Obstetrics and Gynecology Department, USL Roma2, Sant’Eugenio Hospital, 00144 Rome, Italy;
| | - Federica Umani Ronchi
- Department of Anatomical, Histological, Forensic, and Orthopedic Sciences, Sapienza University of Rome, 00161 Rome, Italy; (F.U.R.); (E.M.); (S.Z.)
| | - Enrico Marinelli
- Department of Anatomical, Histological, Forensic, and Orthopedic Sciences, Sapienza University of Rome, 00161 Rome, Italy; (F.U.R.); (E.M.); (S.Z.)
| | - Simona Zaami
- Department of Anatomical, Histological, Forensic, and Orthopedic Sciences, Sapienza University of Rome, 00161 Rome, Italy; (F.U.R.); (E.M.); (S.Z.)
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Locsin RC, Pepito JA, Juntasopeepun P, Constantino RE. Transcending human frailties with technological enhancements and replacements: Transhumanist perspective in nursing and healthcare. Nurs Inq 2020; 28:e12391. [PMID: 33159824 DOI: 10.1111/nin.12391] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/24/2020] [Revised: 10/05/2020] [Accepted: 10/06/2020] [Indexed: 12/12/2022]
Abstract
As human beings age, they become weak, fragile, and feeble. It is a slowly progressing yet complex syndrome in which old age or some disabilities are not prerequisites; neither does loss of human parts lead to frailty among the physically fit older persons. This paper aims to describe the influences of transhumanist perspectives on human-technology enhancements and replacements in the transcendence of human frailties, including those of older persons, in which technology is projected to deliver solutions toward transcending these frailties. Through technologies including genetic screening and other technological manipulations, intelligent machines and augmented humans improve, maintain, and remedy human-linked susceptibilities. Furthermore, other technologies replace parts fabricated through inorganic-mechanical processes such as 3D-printing. Advancing technologies are reaching the summit of technological sophistication contributing to the transhumanist views of being human in a technological world. Technologies enhance the transcendence of human frailties as essential expressions of the symbiosis between human beings and technology in a transcendental world.
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Affiliation(s)
- Rozzano C Locsin
- Department of Nursing, Faculty of Nursing, Chiang Mai University, Chiang Mai, Thailand.,Tokushima University Graduate School of Biomedical Sciences, Tokushima, Japan.,Florida Atlantic University, Christine E. Lynn College of Nursing, Boca Raton, FL, USA
| | - Joseph Andrew Pepito
- College of Allied Medical Sciences, Cebu Doctors' University, Cebu City, Philippines
| | - Phanida Juntasopeepun
- Department of Policy, Planning, and IT Management, Faculty of Nursing, Chiang Mai University, Chiang Mai, Thailand
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Abstract
AbstractIn The Foundations of Bioethics (1986, 1996), former senior editor of The Journal of Medicine and Philosophy H. Tristram Engelhardt, Jr. (1941–2018) radically reassessed the nature and scope of bioethics, as well as the possibilities for this still-young field that he helped found, in light of the prevailing sociohistorical context, which he argued had been inadequately considered by bioethicists. This issue of The Journal of Medicine and Philosophy provides a snapshot of how bioethics is developing in the wake of Engelhardt’s critique. Topics covered include the relation between rule of law and US healthcare policy, the relation between autonomy and consent, the role of rights in bioethical discourse, the debate between naturalism and normativism in the theory of disease, and the question of when human individuals begin to exist. Although no single theme explicitly unites them, the papers in this issue were produced within and are fruitfully read in terms of what Engelhardt influentially characterized as a morally pluralistic postmodernity subsisting amidst the ruins of tradition. In the conclusion, I introduce a further wrinkle into this Engelhardtian picture—namely, the looming danger of a more general epistemological pluralism effected by new technologies like Deepfakes.
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Wójcik M. Augmented intelligence technology. The ethical and practical problems of its implementation in libraries. LIBRARY HI TECH 2020. [DOI: 10.1108/lht-02-2020-0043] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/17/2022]
Abstract
PurposeThe subject of the article is the concept of augmented intelligence, which constitutes a further stage in the development of research on artificial intelligence. This is a new phenomenon that has rarely been considered in the subject literature so far, which may be interesting for the fields of social sciences and humanities. The aim is to describe the features of this technology and determine the practical and ethical problems associated with its implementation in libraries.Design/methodology/approachThe method of literature review was used. Systematic searches according to specific questions were carried out using the Scopus and Web of Science scientific databases, as well as Google Scholar and the LISTA abstract database.FindingsThe results established that the issue of augmented intelligence has barely been discussed in the field of librarianship. Although this technology may be interesting as a new area of librarian research and as a new framework for designing innovative services, deep ethical consideration is necessary before this technology is introduced in libraries.Research limitations/implicationsThe article deals with some of the newest technologies available, and this topic is generally very rarely discussed in scientific publications in either the social sciences or humanities. Therefore, due to the limited availability of materials, the findings presented in the article are primarily of a conceptual nature. The aim is to present this topic from the perspective of librarianship and to create a starting point for further discussion on the ethical aspects of introducing new technologies in libraries.Practical implicationsThe results can be widely used in practice as a framework for the implementation of augmented intelligence in libraries.Social implicationsThe article can help to facilitate the debate on the role of implementing new technologies in libraries.Originality/valueThe problem of augmented intelligence is very rarely addressed in the subject literature in the field of library and information science.
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MacDougall DR. The Ends of Medicine and the Experience of Patients. THE JOURNAL OF MEDICINE AND PHILOSOPHY 2020. [DOI: 10.1093/jmp/jhz043] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/14/2022] Open
Abstract
AbstractThe ends of medicine are sometimes construed simply as promotion of health, treatment and prevention of disease, and alleviation of pain. Practitioners might agree that this simple formulation captures much of what medical practice is about. But while the ends of medicine may seem simple or even obvious, the essays in this issue demonstrate the wide variety of philosophical questions and issues associated with the ends of medicine. They raise questions about how to characterize terms like “health” and “disease”; whether medicine’s goals should be extended to include enhancement beyond normal human function; and whether the ends of medicine are binding on those involved in health care outside of professional medicine, such as pharmaceutical companies. They also give philosophical attention to patient experiences, and so raise questions about whether current practices achieve the ends of medicine from the perspective of the patient. Together these essays demonstrate the important role played by a conception of medicine’s ends in a wide variety of issues and problems in the philosophy and ethics of medicine.
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Da Vinci, 500 años después: del humanismo a la humanización. PERSONA Y BIOÉTICA 2019. [DOI: 10.5294/pebi.2019.23.2.1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/23/2022] Open
Abstract
Leonardo Da Vinci es uno de los prototipos del humanismo. Con ocasión de los quinientos años de su fallecimiento se hace una reflexión sobre lo que el humanismo le puede aportar al proceso de humanización, principalmente en las ciencias de la salud en general y a la educación médica en particular. La historia del pensamiento clasifica los humanismos en renacentista, socialista, existencialista y hermenéutico, antihumanismo y nuevo humanismo. Se señala, por contraste, el transhumanismo. Sobre cada uno de ellos se mencionan sus líneas de pensamiento principales y sus primeros y principales impulsores. Finalmente se explican algunas reacciones de la filosofía contemporánea frente a los humanismos y se concluye que para humanizar con propiedad es necesario tomar como base los elementos básicos aportados por el humanismo clásico y algunos puntos clave de la Bioética.
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Abstract
Advances in human genome editing, in particular the development of the clustered regularly interspaced palindromic repeats (CRISPR)/Cas9 method, have led to increasing concerns about the ethics of editing the human genome. In response, the US National Academy of Sciences and the National Academy of Medicine constituted a multidisciplinary, international committee to review the current status and make recommendations. I was a member of that committee, and the core of this review reflects the committee's conclusions. The committee's report, issued in February 2017, recommends the application of current ethical and regulatory standards for gene therapy to somatic (nonheritable) human genome editing. It also recommends allowing experimental germline genome editing to proceed if ( a) it is restricted to preventing transmission of a serious disease or condition, ( b) the edit is a modification to a common DNA sequence known not to be associated with disease, and ( c) the research is conducted under a stringent set of ethical and regulatory requirements. Crossing the so-called red line of germline genome editing raises important bioethical issues, most importantly, serious concern about the potential negative impact on individuals with disabilities. This review highlights some of the major ethical considerations in human genome editing in light of the report's recommendations.
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Affiliation(s)
- Barry S Coller
- Allen and Frances Adler Laboratory of Blood and Vascular Biology, Rockefeller University, New York, NY 10065, USA;
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