The Human Genome Initiative and Limits of Ethical Theory

This project will investigate many general and far-reaching moral issues raised by the Human Genome Initiative, from distributive and intergenerational justice to concepts of personal identity, eugenics, and the implications of moral theories for policy development in genetics. The research will build upon sources in contemporary ethical work on the moral status of future generations, distributive justice including Rawls, equality of opportunity, and personal identity. The specific objectives of the research include examination of the implications of the possibilities for genetic intervention for equality of opportunity, investigation of the implications of anticipated advances in genetic knowledge and genetic intervention for conceptions of the nature of the self, comparison between modern genetic research and eugenics, and determination of the extent to which ethical theorizing can provide guidance for private individuals and public policy makers. Aided by outstanding scientists, the investigators will attempt to remedy the failure of contemporary ethical literature to engage with concrete problems of individual decision making or public policy. The methodology of this project is that of a historically contextualized, rigorous conceptual and normative analysis of the moral foundations of the pursuit of genetic knowledge and of capacities for genetic intervention.