Abstract

A certain political rhetoric is implicit and sometimes explicit in the advocacy of human genetic modification (indicating here both the enhancement and the prevention of disability). The main claim is that it belongs to a liberal tradition. From a perspective supplied by the history and philosophy of science rather than by ethics, the content of that claim is examined to see if such a self-description is justified. The techniques are analyzed by which apparently liberal arguments get to be presented as “reasonable” in a juridical sense that draws on theories of law and rhetoric.

Highlights

  • Claims to “liberalism” or “conservatism” abound in the literature on human genetic modification (HGM)

  • I start by setting out their claim to be part of a liberal tradition battling a conservative opposition

  • I go on to argue that in our attempts to establish stable, knowledge-based grounds for debating HGM, it is the philosophy and history of science that is prior, rather than some notional discipline of ethics which is a contingent outcome of that history

Read more

Summary

Introduction

Claims to (and accusations of) “liberalism” or “conservatism” abound in the literature on human genetic modification (HGM) They are usually taken at face value. Assumptions about the general political alignment of the arguments for and against HGM permeate the public arena but are not always made explicit, so they need testing out. What part do they play in the presentation of the case? When I use the terms liberal and conservative, I am not talking about political allegiances in a party-political sense. On the contrary, it is well-known that the drive towards biological. Readers who are researchers of any kind will recognize that the very departure-point of research is a refusal to take starting assumptions for granted

Varieties of Liberalism in the Advocacy of Human Genetic Modification
Alternative Liberalisms
Varieties of Conservatism
Rhetoric and the Ideological Content of Liberal Eugenics
Rhetoric and the Ideology of Liberal Eugenics
Rhetoric as a Mode of Delivery
10. Conclusions
Full Text
Paper version not known

Talk to us

Join us for a 30 min session where you can share your feedback and ask us any queries you have

Schedule a call

Disclaimer: All third-party content on this website/platform is and will remain the property of their respective owners and is provided on "as is" basis without any warranties, express or implied. Use of third-party content does not indicate any affiliation, sponsorship with or endorsement by them. Any references to third-party content is to identify the corresponding services and shall be considered fair use under The CopyrightLaw.