Adam Eve And The Genome

The dilemmas and dangers of DNA. The project to map the human genetic codes has been widely hailed as a monumental achievement with vast medical promise. Yet the project is also fraught with ambiguities and, the authors of this important volume claim, great potential dangers to society. This book combines a basic primer on genetic research with ethical reflection by an interdisciplinary team. Part 1 of the book places genetic research in historical perspective, including the historical prickliness between science and religion. Part 2 probes the deepest religious question raised by genetic research: what it means to be human, especially in the coming “biological age.” Finally, Part 3 takes up specific social issues about race, freedoms, fairness, and the social context and consequences of advanced science.