Some Deeper Questions

In the public forum, this has led to the increased salience of the genetic debate. Taking genetic material from one being or organ and creating a duplicate has obvious beneficial applications for the health sciences. However, at the point where humans reconstruct and reconstitute life at a fundamental level, are they not literally attempting to redefine what it means to be a human being? Do the perceived benefits outweigh this philosophical shift in thinking about what man is? What impact will this shift have on the concept of human rights?

The American public has few skills to coherently debate these issues in public. As western society increasingly specializes and isolates the breadth of expertise of any given individual in society, the ability for discussion of complex issues decreases. Nor do media outlets offer much in the way of assistance, since their primary function is not one of thoughtful reflection, but simple information distribution. In place of our socio-political heritage, westerners, and Americans in particular, have increasingly turned to creative entertainment outlets to define the issues and normative discussions of our day.

The Human Genome Project

Some Deeper Questions

Science Fiction as Social Science Discourse

Proposal and Preliminary Reading List

Annotated Bibliography: Research Readings

Annotated Bibliography: Preliminary Reading List