EDST 391 Ethics
& the Human Genome
Name:
Date:
"Calendar"
Assignment for
Day 5
The pursuit of
medical utopias
Readings:
Writing
assignment:
-
Background:
These readings place medical utopias in historical context, past and
future, and describe the human enthusiasms that animate them. They also
describe new “utopian” medical technologies currently at different stages of
development, from first implementation, to clinical tryouts, and to still
mostly just theoretical possibilities.
-
Task:
-
What, in your view, is the essence of this utopianism and why does
it persist? Do you
see signs of
this utopian attitude in everyday life--in yourself, your friends, TV
shows, etc? Please explain.
- Now look again at
Economist. To what extent does it represent the
sort of medical utopianism that your readings describe? How so —or not?
Please
refer to specific passages in the The Economist
article to support your points.
Also
be prepared to:
-
Specify a general topic for which you would like
to be a “team leader” (genetic screening, forensic genetics, patenting genes
and new forms of life, etc.). We will decide topics for remaining
weeks.