Genetic engineering and environmental ethics

Cambridge Quarterly of Healthcare Ethics

Volumn 6, Issue 2, 1997, Pages 205-221

  Dobson, Andrew ^a  

^a NONE

Author keywords

[No Author keywords available]

Indexed keywords

AGRICULTURE; ANALYTICAL APPROACH; ANIMAL; ANIMAL RIGHTS; BIOETHICS; BIOMEDICAL AND BEHAVIORAL RESEARCH; ECOSYSTEM; ENVIRONMENT; ETHICAL THEORY; GENETIC ENGINEERING; GENETICS AND REPRODUCTION; HUMAN; MORALITY; PATENT; REVIEW; RISK ASSESSMENT; SOCIAL BEHAVIOR; SOCIAL CONTROL; SOCIAL PSYCHOLOGY;

ANALYTICAL APPROACH; BIOMEDICAL AND BEHAVIORAL RESEARCH; GENETICS AND REPRODUCTION;

AGRICULTURE; ANIMAL RIGHTS; ANIMALS; BIOETHICS; ECOSYSTEM; ENVIRONMENT; ETHICAL THEORY; GENETIC ENGINEERING; HUMANS; MORAL OBLIGATIONS; PATENTS; RISK ASSESSMENT; SOCIAL CONTROL, FORMAL; SOCIAL RESPONSIBILITY; SOCIAL VALUES;

EID: 0031084875     PISSN: 09631801     EISSN: None     Source Type: Journal    
DOI: 10.1017/s0963180100007817     Document Type: Article

References (18)

1. There is no need to distinguish between ethical and environmental-ethical for the moment.
2. To the extent that some scientific research is carried out 'for its own sake' this is an inaccurate formulation - but it will do for present purposes. In any case, discoveries made after research 'for its own sake' will often have practical implications, and so the ethical questions will arise at some point or other.
3. Yanchinski S. Boom and bust in the bio business. New Scientist 1987; 22 January:46.
4. The Royal Commission on Environmental Pollution. The Release of Genetically Engineered Organisms into the Environment. London: HMSO 1989.
5. Quoting Stanley Cohen. See note 3. Yanchinski 1987:26.
6. Holland A. The biotic community: a philosophical critique of genetic engineering. In: Wheale P, McNally R, eds. The Bio-Revolution: Cornucopia or Pandora's Box? London: Pluto Press, 1990.
7. Sagoff M. Biotechnology and the environment: what is at risk? Agriculture and Human Values 1988.
8. Fox M. Transgenic animals: ethical and animal welfare concerns. See note 6. Wheale, McNally, 1990:34.
9. Thompson S. Biotechnology - Shape of things to come or false promise? Futures 1986;18(4):522.
10. See, for example, Postgate J. Fixing the nitrogen fixers. New Scientist 1990;(3 February):57.
11. Chakrabarti C, Bhargava P. Chemicals through biotechnology: facts, hopes, dreams and doubts. Impact of Science on Society 1990;157:83.
12. See note 7. Sagoff 1988:29.
13. Only four of David Suzuki and Peter Knudtson's ten 'genethic' principles can be applied outside the human realm; see Genethics: The Ethics of Engineering Life. London: Unwin Hyman, 1990:334-7.
14. A distinction must be drawn between 'human-centered' and 'human-interested.' A human-interested ethic is one in which human interests automatically override those of the nonhuman natural world (or certain bits of it). A human-centered ethic is one which recognizes that ethics will derive from human beings because only humans can make moral judgments (so far as we know), but that human interests need not automatically override those of the nonhuman natural world.
15. Green and Yoxen use the word biotechnology to describe what I have been referring to as genetic engineering.
16. Green K, Yoxen E. The greening of European industry: what role for biotechnology? Futures 1990;22(5):493.
17. Stephen Crespi R. The patenting of genetic resources. Impact of Science on Society 1990;158:175.
18. See note 17. Stephen Crespi 1990:175.