This book introduces readers to important ethical issues that arise in the realm of genetic engineering. It provides the basic science and ethical analysis necessary to assess central issues confronting our society in this emerging area of research. At the end, readers will be able to formulate their own positions on these crucial issues.Chapter topics include professional and practical principles of conduct, the biological basics, from cell to test tube, the biology of genetic therapy, the limits of science, somatic gene therapy, enhancement, cloning, and germ line therapy.For individuals interested in the formal study of biomedical ethics.

Michael Boylan (Ph.D., University of Chicago) is professor of philosophy at Marymount University Kevin Brown (M.D., Cambridge University), Mrcp, FRCPath, is a Visiting Scientist at the National Institutes of Health

I. BASIC ETHICS.

1. Worldview and Theory Choice.
2. Professional and Practical Principles of Conduct.

II. THE SCIENCE OF GENETIC ENGINEERING.

3. Where We Are and How We Got Here.
4. The Biological Basics.
5. From Cell to Test Tube.
6. The Biology of Genetic Therapy.

III. ETHICS IN GENETIC ENGINEERING.

7. The Limits of Science.
8. Genetic Testing and Screening.
9. Somatic Gene Therapy.
10. Cloning.
11. Germ-Line Therapy.
12. Where Business and Science Intersect.
Glossary of Scientific and Ethical Terms.
Index.

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This book hopes to introduce the reader to important ethical issues that arise in the realm of biomedical ethics. As such, it fits into that branch of ethics entitled applied ethics. Genetic Engineeringis the fifth book in the series Basic Ethics in Action.The composition of this series is ongoing. The central poles are medical ethics, business ethics, environmental ethics, and social/political philosophy. The emphasis in this series is single-author books from various philosophers and practitioners in the fields. The books are presented in a normal or a condensed format. The former will run around 200 to 250 pages, while the latter will be 100 to 200 pages and will highlight a focused topic. The series is anchored by Basic Ethics,an essay on normative ethics and metaethics. The combination of volumes offers many possibilities for instructors and students of ethics: Basic Ethicsalone or with other primary texts can be used in an ethical theory course. Basic Ethicsalong with one of the applied texts in the series can be used in an ethics course that emphasizes an integration of theory and practice. One or more of the applied texts can be used for courses that wish to concentrate upon practice. Distinctive features of this book include (a) discussion of a "cutting edge" series of issues in a focused format; (b) presentation of both philosophical and biological issues in a way that allows each to maintain its disciplinary integrity (by practitioners in both philosophy and biology who are also "fellow travelers" of the other discipline); (c) background in both key biological and philosophical concepts so that the reader can make important connections; and (d) discussion of the principal issues facing genetic engineering today, giving weight to both the philosophical and the biological issues. Like all interdisciplinary projects, this book will find audiences who are better versed in either philosophy or biology. To attempt to accommodate both audiences, certain key terms have been set out in bold and defin6d in the glossary, and the book is divided into three parts. Part One introduces some important ethical concepts that are tied into the mission of the series: to utilize personal and community worldviews and the ensuing Personal Worldviewand Shared Community Imperativesas a molding influence upon how we render ethical judgments. Part Two reviews certain fundamental concepts in cell biology and evolutionary theory that provide an overview of some basic mechanics necessary to understand the biology behind the procedures we are evaluating. Part Three integrates biology and philosophy as we explore some key issues that have emerged in genetic engineering: (a) the limits of science, (b) genetic testing and screening, (c) somatic gene therapy, (d) cloning, (e) germline therapy, and (f) the intersection between business and science. In each case there is an attempt to integrate philosophy and biology in a way that offers a treatment of each that is rigorous and accurate. For those readers who wish to explore the ethical issues in genetic engineering but are a little unsure about their background in science, we have staggered our presentation so that they might dip in and out of the text. The presentations in Part Two are made in an order of increasing complexity. Thus, the reader can begin with Chapter Three and proceed until he or she can go no further. For those students in medical school or students in advanced undergraduate programs in biology, Part Two should pose no difficulty. For humanities students with some biology background, we have compiled a list of questions that might give you a gauge on your scientific literacy. SOME SAMPLE QUESTIONS FOR SELF-EVALUATION. If you can respond to at least some of these, please attempt Part Two: How would you distinguish between a genotype and a phenotype? How do fitness and environment interact in evolutionary theory? What are viruses? What is a retrovirus vector? What is transcription and translation? What is polymerase chain reaction (PCR)? What are DNA and RNA and where are they found in cells? What are the steps in the process of protein formation? For those readers who totally struck out on this set of questions or for those who consider themselves scientifically illiterate, there is still the option of dipping into this book in the following fashion: Read Chapters One and Two. Read as much as you can understand of Chapters Three through Six (and scan the glossary for scientific terms). Read Chapters Seven through Twelve and consult only the shaded boxes (referencing scientific concepts) as they meet your needs. We believe that the subjects raised in this book are of crucial importance for society to examine. We exhort our readers to stretch themselves to acquire as much philosophy or biology as possible to make this interdisciplinary exercise work. For readers who are biologically competent but are philosophically challenged, we suggest dipping into Basic Ethics(the anchor volume for the series Basic Ethics in Action). This book goes into greater detail on various issues of worldview and its relation to the most prominent ethical theories. As always in a project such as this there are many to thank: Edmund D. Pellegrino, Rosemarie Tong, Carol Taylor, John Bishop, Arthur Christian, Susan Brown, and Bernard Brown for reading the entire manuscript and providing useful comments for its improvement. We would also like to thank Susan Brown for her expert advice and assistance in preparing the manuscript. Last but not least, the authors are deeply grateful to our families who nurture us, support us, and put up with our many eccentricities. Michael Boylan Kevin E. Brown