Bernard Gert: Encyclopedia Of Ethics Of Genetic Engineering

Improved Essays
Landmark Text:
Gert, B. (2001). genetic engineering. In L. C. Becker, & C. B. Becker (Eds.), Encyclopedia of ethics (2nd ed.). London, UK: Routledge. Retrieved from https://login.proxy117.nclive.org/login?url=https://search.credoreference.com/content/entry/routethics/genetic_engineering/0?institutionId=7681
Bernard Gert is an American philosopher with a Ph.D. in philosophy and an educator. To add, Gert has been a contributor to writing several books, one being the Encyclopedia of Ethics (2001). In regards, to the natural sciences discipline, an excerpt from this book discuss genetic engineering; showcasing several facts and historical information about genetic engineering. Although this book discusses the ethical standpoints of genetic engineering, scientific facts are still
…show more content…
Making the university very diverse in countless amounts of programs after being founded in 1754 (Lagasse 2017). Furthermore, Columbia University conducts several studies and likewise contribute to writing books, such as The Columbia Encyclopedia (2017). An excerpt this book revealed a more current use of genetic engineering, regarding humans. The excerpt as well revealed data from research institutes and uncovered the ethical and legal positions. To begin, the excerpt stated the definition of genetic engineering and the steps involved in this procedure, one requiring the utilization of DNA. Additionally, the excerpt discussed the unitization of DNA in genetic engineering and how this process changes inherited characteristics and creates biological products. Moreover, the use of genetic engineering in agriculture, such as soybeans and corn was utilized in the article to show the decrease in genetic pollution due to the process. In regards to my research question, I believe this excerpt answers several of my questions in detail, by defining genetic engineering and use information from different

Related Documents

  • Decent Essays

    The author talks about how the conversation around eugenics is similar to the Pro-Choice movement in the 1960-70s. She explains how there is a stigma behind the word “eugenics” and questions whether it’s wrong to use new technology to improve the human race. She concludes the article by talking about the political opposition of eugenics. This article will be useful in the paper because it provides a different perspective of the ethics behind biotechnology.…

    • 74 Words
    • 1 Pages
    Decent Essays
  • Decent Essays

    One controversial topic that provokes debate is genetic modification. In the essay “Proposed Treatment to Fix Genetic Diseases Raises Ethical issues” the author Rob Stein explains the process of genetic engineering and suggests a solution. The government is debating if the should let scientists “make changes in some of the genetic material” in the egg so the baby will not have certain genes. The main goal is to “help women deliver healthy, normal children.” There are some risks with this process such as birth defects.…

    • 369 Words
    • 2 Pages
    Decent Essays
  • Improved Essays

    Genetic and genome field development has been vastly expanded over the past decade and with its positive impact on areas of science, medicine, society there is also negative impact such as the ethical issues that can follow. The developments of new genetic technologies will raise some of these ethical issues that will affect the person as well as the society as the whole. In 2010 ethical issues was emerge as big controversial problem within the scientific community by Rebecca Skloot, the publisher of The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lack, a book on the He-La cells and why it was morally unethical. He-La, a cervix cells from a woman named Henrietta Lack’s, a code named that world known to the first immortal human cells. The cells are known…

    • 1562 Words
    • 7 Pages
    Improved Essays
  • Improved Essays

    Cook-Deegan and Maienschein abstain from arguing for or against genetic engineering rather the argument lies in the fact that the public should decide actively instead of passively. Cook-Deegan and Maeinschein’s introduction does a good job of putting into context how far genetic engineering has progressed, but the shift from the recent advancements of genetic engineering to history of the genetic engineering is abrupt. The beginning of the paper leads a different way than where the paper's purpose is. Cook-Deegan and Maienschein main function of this paper is to make apparent to the public that they are currently deciding passively which is never a good way to decide. Cook-Deegan and Maienschein are discussing much more than just genetic engineering.…

    • 964 Words
    • 4 Pages
    Improved Essays
  • Improved Essays

    SUMMARY/PRECIS Professor Ronald Green of Dartmouth University, in his article, Building Baby from Genes Up, addresses the topic of whether or not genetic engineering is a viable technological advancement for our society to pursue and argues that although there are many potential drawbacks, the overall benefits of genetic engineering outweigh its downfalls. He supports this claim by addressing the variety of benefits that genetic engineering can offer, then by categorically refuting counterarguments and finally by presenting his opinion for why each downfall of genetic engineering is surmountable. Green’s purpose is to shed light on both sides of the argument when it comes to genetic engineering, while posing the idea that genetic engineering…

    • 728 Words
    • 3 Pages
    Improved Essays
  • Improved Essays

    The topic presented centers around the ethical standpoint of a wide variety of scientific academic journals in regards to the use of genetically modified crops. The purpose is to inform the audience of the ethical issues that arise when discussing genetically modified crops, and to show just how complex the issue really is. The audience includes anyone who is interested in genetically modified crops and the different arguments surrounding its usage, especially the ones present in scientific academic journal publications. The disciplinary area of the humanities centers around the human experience and attempts to analyze the ways in which we think, create meaning, and how we express ourselves.…

    • 780 Words
    • 4 Pages
    Improved Essays
  • Improved Essays

    In chapter four of Michael Sandel’s book The Case against Perfection: Ethics in an age of Genetic Engineering, he brings up the notion of the controversial notion of eugenics. Sandel divides this chapter up into three types of eugenics- all of which he eventually finds unconvincing at the end of the chapter. Sandel begins this chapter by defining what eugenics is and its origins. However, as he does this, he also goes in to describing this notion as a shaky and righteous movement coined by Sir Francis Galton and others who thought like him.…

    • 813 Words
    • 4 Pages
    Improved Essays
  • Improved Essays

    I had the opportunity to watch the movie, Gattaca, during one of my medical ethics class this semester. We had to determine if future genetic engineering is ethical or not. However, at first it seems ethical with a society genetically perfect, but to be marked as an “invalid” or insufficient enough, from birth restricts a person to a career not requiring an education, such as a cleaner. Creation of a new form of prejudice produces the idea of having greater or second-rate genes.…

    • 351 Words
    • 2 Pages
    Improved Essays
  • Improved Essays

    This paper uses two main example which are very strong one is the “test tube” babies which were once looked down upon by society but now are widely accepted by the public. The other is heart transfusions which as Deegan-Cook and Maienshein wrote, “Initial revulsion at heart transplants gave way in the face of success” (Deegan-Cook, Maienshein, 1). Deegan-Cook and Maienshein used these example to warn the reader about what is currently going on with genetic engineering, and possibly genetic engineering could follow the same course the test tube babies and heart transfusions followed. This argument was effective but slightly deceiving. Original impression of the paper makes one think that the argument will argue for or against genetic engineering, but the true argument of the paper is about the public and how the public should decide “actively” as stated by Deegan-Cook and…

    • 904 Words
    • 4 Pages
    Improved Essays
  • Improved Essays

    Genetic Engineering is the modification of an organism 's genetic composition by artificial means, often involving the transfer of specific traits, or genes, from one organism into a plant or animal of an entirely different species. With this new, rapidly growing, technology we are now able to do things that we once thought were impossible. In Ethics and the New Genetics, the Dalai Lama addresses problems that we need to consider as we continue to explore this microscopic world that we have uncovered. The Dalai Lama believes that we need to have an appreciation for the value of human beings, the world as a whole, and that the motivation behind our genetic explorations must be pure and compassionate. Genetic modification gives us access to an immense amount of power through the…

    • 1175 Words
    • 5 Pages
    Improved Essays
  • Improved Essays

    With the implementation of genetic technology, society will bear witness to a clash of moral and religious values, causing disagreement between communities. As Article Seven states, “Messing around with genes is playing God - and only God should play God.” Religions such as Christianity and Islam compose an enormous portion of this world’s population, and a method of bodily modification such as genetic engineering will vehemently stray away from their values. Moral implication is a topic similarly linked to theses said religious complications. According to Article Five, the process of genetic modification involves the tampering and possible termination of human embryos.…

    • 1142 Words
    • 5 Pages
    Improved Essays
  • Great Essays

    Since Watson and Crick unraveled the structure of DNA, much controversy has sparked regarding biotechnology and its ethics. According to BBC, biotechnology includes “any use of science or technology to alter the characteristics of a particular breed or animal. ”1 Many believe that biotechnology will have unexpected adverse consequences and some claim that it is tampering with God’s creations. Contrary, many scientists counterargue that it has shown potential in producing unprecedented vaccines, improved agriculture, and much more.…

    • 2034 Words
    • 9 Pages
    Great Essays
  • Improved Essays

    Mary Shelley provides many social conflicts and valid arguments in her famous book, Frakenstien. This book created an uprising in the discussion of ethics and potential conflicts, and is used as a resource to prove frequent points made in the argument involving these issues. There have been many articles concerning the use of the forbidden science of the altering of genes. Science expresses the actual dangers of Genetic engineering. Biotechnology and Genetic engineering can be very destructive to society; this is proved in the accomplished novel, Frankenstein by Mary Shelley.…

    • 733 Words
    • 3 Pages
    Improved Essays
  • Improved Essays

    In the article “Ethics and the New Genetics” written by The Dalai Lama, the author explains a religious symbol that is trying to send a message to the science community. A genetic technology that one day will change the definition of what it is to be human. Similarly, in “Human Dignity” written by Francis Fukuyama the author examines Factor X, the same number of factors that makes a human being human. Individuals should be political, the ethical esteem is embodied, the decisions made, and the feelings encountered are of the whole factors that make Factor X. For Human Dignity, a gap was created due to the higher class having more privileges than others classes. In the following paper, the discussion of the complications between science and religion and what roles would play in the genetic engineering today.…

    • 943 Words
    • 4 Pages
    Improved Essays
  • Improved Essays

    While others believe that some of the technologies have contravened the moral rules so they are unethical. These perspectives can be seen in Tenzin Gyatso’s article “Ethics and the New Genetics,”in which he talks about the benefits of genetic engineering. However, he also reminds people of…

    • 1677 Words
    • 7 Pages
    Improved Essays