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Individualism and Society in the Era of Biomedical Enhancement
Johns Hopkins University Press
June 2009
On Sale: May 21, 2009
320 pages
ISBN: 0801892635
EAN: 9780801892639
Hardcover
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Non-Fiction
Few would question the necessity of artificial limbs for
amputees. But what of surgery to lengthen the legs of
children who are merely shorter than average? Hardly anyone
would challenge the decision to prescribe Aricept to people
with dementia. But is it acceptable to give the same
medication to airline pilots seeking sharper mental focus on
long-haul flights? Humans have engaged in biological self-improvement since
long before recorded history, from the impotence-curing wild
lotus brew of the ancient Egyptians to the herbal energy
drink favored by early Olympians. Now biomedical
enhancements are pushing the boundaries of possibility and
acceptability. Where do we draw the line? How do we know the
true ramifications of pioneering medicine? What price are we
willing to pay for perfection? Maxwell J. Mehlman's provocative examination of these issues
speaks to fundamental questions of what it means to be
human. He finds public officials ill-equipped to handle the
ethical, scientific, and public policy quandaries of
biomedical enhancement. Instead of engaging difficult
questions of morality, access, fairness, and freedom,
elected officials have crafted toothless and
counterproductive laws and regulations. Mehlman outlines policy options to boost the societal
benefits and minimize the risks from these technologies. In
the process, he urges the public to face the ethical issues
surrounding biomedical enhancement, lest our quest for
perfection compromise our very humanity.
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