Life Science Ethics - Softcover

Does nature have intrinsic value? Should we be doing more to save wilderness and ocean ecosystems? What are our duties to future generations of humans? Do animals have rights? This revised edition of "Life Science Ethics" introduces these questions using narrative case studies on genetically modified foods, use of animals in research, nanotechnology, and global climate change, and then explores them in detail using essays written by nationally-recognized experts in the ethics field.

Part I introduces ethics, the relationship of religion to ethics, how we assess ethical arguments, and a method ethicists use to reason about ethical theories. Part II demonstrates the relevance of ethical reasoning to the environment, land, farms, food, biotechnology, genetically modified foods, animals in agriculture and research, climate change, and nanotechnology. Part III presents case studies for the topics found in Part II.

This second edition of Life Science Ethics includes four essays not found in the first edition: ·          Richard Haynes on “Animals in Research” ·          Stephen M. Gardiner on “Climate Change” ·          Christopher Kelty on “Nanotechnology” ·          Gary Comstock on “Genetically Modified Foods”   and a revised and expanded version of the chapter on “Farms” in which Stephen Carpenter joins Charles Taliaferro as author.    In addition, Part III has been thoroughly revised with the goal of focusing attention on salient examples. Three new case studies have been added:   ·          Robert Streiffer and Sara Gavrell Ortiz on “Enviropigs” ·          Donald F. Boesch, et al. on “Coastal Dead Zones” ·          Deb Bennett-Woods on “Nanotechnology and Human Enhancement”   The first edition was praised for providing instructors with a stimulating text that will help students hone their critical thinking skills. That text is here enhanced with treatments of critical new issues, including global warming, nanotechnology, and the possibility that bioengineering may be able to change human nature. The new edition includes classroom discussion questions for use in provoking and guiding in-class discussions.   Part I introduces ethics, the relationship of religion to ethics, how we assess ethical arguments, and a method ethicists use to reason about ethical theories. Part II demonstrates the relevance of ethical reasoning to the environment, land, farms, food, biotechnology, genetically modified foods, animals in agriculture and research, climate change, and nanotechnology. Part III presents case studies for the topics found in Part II. Two appendices include exercises to help students learn systematic ways of thinking through ethical dilemmas and notes for instructors using the book as a text.   "...cleverly designed...scholarly and readable...the approach should help capture the attention of today's undergraduates."  - Agricultural Economics   Gary L. Comstock is Professor of Philosophy at North Carolina State University, author of Vexing Nature? On the Ethical Case against Agricultural Biotechnology (Kluwer, 2000), and Editor-in-chief of On the Human at the National Humanities Center.