ISSN Imprimer: 2151-805X
ISSN En ligne: 2151-8068
What Does It Mean to be Human?
RÉSUMÉ
What does it mean to be human? More specifically, what are our ethical responsibilities in bioengineering? Consider, for example, two advances in bioengineering: somatic gene therapy and germ-line gene engineering, with the latter being of particular interest. As our technology rapidly advances, accompanied by our abilities to change the various conditions of life and then to modify and mold life, this question takes on far greater importance than ever before. This article begins a much-needed conversation about these aspects related to these technologies that includes a new complex systems approach for making ethical decisions based on the laws of differentiation, communion, and subjectivity.