The Ethical Canary: Science, Society and the Human Spirit [Paperback]

Margaret A. Somerville (Author)

Book Description

ISBN-10: 0773527842 | ISBN-13: 978-0773527843 | Publication Date: May 2004 | Edition: 1

Every day we hear news about medical or scientific breakthroughs and the complex ethical issues they raise. Feats that were never before possible, including cloning, genetically modifying food, mapping human chromosomes, and using animal organs for human transplants, have opened up a Pandora's Box of ethical questions. Technology is advancing at such rate that the issue is not so much what we can do but rather whether we will do it. Margaret Somerville, a leading international authority on medicine, ethics, and the law, demonstrates that society must set ethically acceptable limits on scientific advances. In this controversial and timely book, Somerville sheds light on the urgent ethical and legal questions that vie for our attention. Along the way, she calls upon us to recognize the mysteries that lie at the heart of our lives and the metaphysical reality that gives meaning to life. "The Ethical Canary" is a major contribution to the debate about the hottest issues in ethics today, from one of the world's leading authorities.

Editorial Reviews

Review

"A crucial book at a critical time - essential reading for anyone attempting to make sense of the rapidly changing world around them." Quill & Quire "The Ethical Canary ... throws welcome light on a debate that we can't avoid." MacLean's "Dr Somerville tackles the big ethical issues of today in a compelling book ... [and] handles [them] with considerable aplomb and an impressive sense of authority." West Australian "Somerville is passionately engaged with the issues she discusses ... Whether we agree with her reasoning or not, we are likely to be moved by this lively text." Hospital Quarterly

About the Author

Margaret Somerville, who was recently chosen as the first winner of the Avicenna prize for Ethics in Science by UNESCO, is the founding director of the McGill Centre for Medicine, Ethics and Law, and holds professorships in both the Faculty of Law and the

Product Details

• Paperback: 344 pages
• Publisher: McGill-Queen's University Press; 1 edition (May 2004)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0773527842
• ISBN-13: 978-0773527843
• Product Dimensions: 8.5 x 5.6 x 1 inches
• Shipping Weight: 15.5 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #735,231 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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