Much recent thought on the ethics of new biomedical technologies, and work in ethics and political philosophy more generally, is committed to hidden and contestable views about the nature of biological reality. This selection of essays by Tim Lewens, a leading expert in the field, teases out these biological foundations of bioethical writing and subjects them to scrutiny. The topics covered include human enhancement, the risks of technical progress, the alleged moral threat of synthetic biology, the reality of human nature, the relevance of evolutionary psychology to social policy, the nature of the distinction between health and disease, and justice in healthcare decision-making.
Review
"Those who wonder if their characterizations of human nature are scientifically sound will want to review the many cautions presented in this book. Tim Lewens's aim is to apply standard concepts from the philosophy of biology to inform issues in bioethics. But his incisive analyses of appeals to what is ânaturalâ have broader relevance." -- Douglas Allchin, Evolutionary Studies in Imaginative Culture
"The book is free of bias and provides ample current citations... A good book for public policy and bioethics collections...Highly recommended." -- Choice
"Lewens' book will reward close study. The essays in the book are tightly reasoned, and many of the deflationary conclusions he draws deserve serious attention by those wishing to engage in theory construction in this locale. In addition, the book can serve as a good introduction, albeit a challenging one, to many of the important issues in bioethics." -- Metascience
About the Author
Tim Lewens, Clare College, Cambridge
Tim Lewens is Professor of Philosophy of Science at the University of Cambridge, where he is also a Fellow of Clare College. His past publications include Organisms and Artifacts: Design in Nature and Elsewhere (MIT Press, 2004), and Darwin (Routledge, 2007). He is also a member of the Nuffield Council on Bioethics and runs the ERC-funded project 'A Science of Human Nature? Philosophical Disputes at the Interface of Natural and Social Sciences'.
Much recent thought on the ethics of new biomedical technologies, and work in ethics and political philosophy more generally, is committed to hidden and contestable views about the nature of biological reality. This selection of essays by Tim Lewens, a leading expert in the field, teases out these biological foundations of bioethical writing and subjects them to scrutiny. The topics covered include human enhancement, the risks of technical progress, the alleged moral threat of synthetic biology, the reality of human nature, the relevance of evolutionary psychology to social policy, the nature of the distinction between health and disease, and justice in healthcare decision-making.
Review
"Those who wonder if their characterizations of human nature are scientifically sound will want to review the many cautions presented in this book. Tim Lewens's aim is to apply standard concepts from the philosophy of biology to inform issues in bioethics. But his incisive analyses of appeals to what is ânaturalâ have broader relevance." -- Douglas Allchin, Evolutionary Studies in Imaginative Culture
"The book is free of bias and provides ample current citations... A good book for public policy and bioethics collections...Highly recommended." -- Choice
"Lewens' book will reward close study. The essays in the book are tightly reasoned, and many of the deflationary conclusions he draws deserve serious attention by those wishing to engage in theory construction in this locale. In addition, the book can serve as a good introduction, albeit a challenging one, to many of the important issues in bioethics." -- Metascience
About the Author
Tim Lewens, Clare College, Cambridge
Tim Lewens is Professor of Philosophy of Science at the University of Cambridge, where he is also a Fellow of Clare College. His past publications include Organisms and Artifacts: Design in Nature and Elsewhere (MIT Press, 2004), and Darwin (Routledge, 2007). He is also a member of the Nuffield Council on Bioethics and runs the ERC-funded project 'A Science of Human Nature? Philosophical Disputes at the Interface of Natural and Social Sciences'.