From Chance to Choice: Genetics and Justice
Allen Buchanan, Dan W Brock, Norman Daniels, and Daniel Wikler
Cambridge University Press,
£17.95
ISBN 0 521 66001 7
Rating: 3/4
The Human Genome Project has the
potential to be the most revolution.
ary development in medical research
and practice. But it also has its hazards. From
the late 19th to early 20th centuries,
countries such as the United States, England, and Germany attempted to use genetic
information to improve society by enforcing
eugenic policies. These included such abuses
as forced sterilisation, abortion, and murder
of individuals based on racial and class
purity. The "old genetics" focused on
exclusion and subjective notions of normality. The proponents of the "new genetics"
maintain that the language associated with
the project is that of inclusion and objective
notions of disease. It is difficult to be sure
that we will not repeat the same mistakes.
From Chance to Choice: Genetics and Justice
brings together top minds in the field of
bioethics to tackle some of the biggest
problems facing society. They deal with topics
such as reproductive freedom, the meaning
of disability, and the requirement to prevent
harm. The discussion sets the ethical issues in
the context of society's obligation to justice
and fairness. The authors believe that genetic
technology has the potential to provide those
who have fared poorly in the genetic lottery
with a level playing field in which fair equality
of opportunity can be an obtainable goal.
One puzzling aspect of the work lies in
the authors' apparent failure to meet their
goal of trying to explain basic moral
principles that could guide public policy and
individual choice concerning genetic interventions. Instead, the authors try to solve
ethical issues by combining considered
beliefs, principles, and background theories.
The analysis is rich and goes beyond the
application of simple principles to bioethical
problems.
Although the authors are all noted
professors of philosophy, they do a fantastic
job of developing a sophisticated account
examining ethical issues associated with
genetic technology without getting bogged
down in ethical theory and terminology.
Adrian M Viens, student of philosophy, University of Toronto, Canada
Email: viens@interlog.com
studentBMJ 2001;09:129-170 May ISSN 0966-6494
