Blackwell Reference Online

Extract

Ethical controversies regarding the control of science and technology, especially emerging biotechnologies, are among the most contentious of current issues under public debate. Cloning or somatic cell nuclear transfer (even the terminology is controversial) and stem cell research are hot-button political issues, with presidential ethics advisors, presidents and ex-first ladies weighing in, threatening vetoes, or making alliances with strange bedfellows. Every technical advance sets off a new round of discussion and seemingly intractable disagreement. Similar ethical debates complicate public policy decisions regarding the development, regulation and use of genetically modified organisms, gene therapy, and other biological technologies. Research on creating artificial cells and artificial lifeforms is still too early in its development to have reached a comparable level of public awareness, but these areas will also require that we give careful thought to their ethical implications. Using the term applied ethics for such deliberation is misleading; anyone who has tried to negotiate such practical ethical controversies knows that simply “applying” ethical theory off the shelf is rarely sufficient. At the very least, resolution of ethical questions caused by advances in science and technology will require close collaboration of both scientists and ethicists. Progress on the controversy ... log in or subscribe to read full text