The Influence of Genetics on Contemporary Thinking

This volume reflects on the effects of recent discoveries in genetics on a broad range of scientific fields. In addition to neuroscience, evolutionary biology, anthropology and medicine, contributors analyze the effects of genetics on theories of health, law, epistemology and philosophy of biology. Social and moral concerns about the relationship between genetics, society and the individual also figure prominently. Genetic discoveries fuel central contemporary public policy debates concerning, for example, human cloning, equitable access to healthcare or the role of genetics in medicine. Perhaps more fundamentally, advances in genetics are altering our perception of human life and death.

An interview with François Jacob by Anne Fagot-Largeault opens the volume. In this interview, Jacob, who shared a Nobel Prize with André Lwoff and Jacques Monod for their discoveries concerning genetic control of enzyme and virus synthesis, addresses many of the central methodological epistemological and ethical questions covered in the volume. The dynamic interdisciplinary character of this volume makes it relevant to scholars from many disciplines, from biology, philosophy and the social sciences.

From the reviews:

"This ambitious book aims to survey the influence of genetics and molecular biology on contemporary thought quite generally. [...] Highlights of the first section include an excellent introduction to what genetics has taught us about human origins by Francisco Ayala and his group of Spanish collaborators. [...] The section devoted to philosophy of science is particularly strong."
Paul Griffiths, University of Sydney, NSW, Australia in Metascience

"Organized in three main sections: 'Genetics and the Life Sciences'; 'Genetics and the Philosophy of Science: The Reductionism Debate and Beyond'; and 'Genetics and the Ethical, Legal and Sociological Debate', these contributions are more informative about what other disciplines have to say about genetics . those who keep reading will be rewarded. When judged upon their merit as stand-alone pieces the chapters are highly stimulating." (Medicine, Health Care and Philosophy, Vol. 11 (3), 2008)

Résumé

This interdisciplinary volume reflects on the effects of recent discoveries in genetics on a broad range of scientific fields. It shows the way in which those discoveries influence genetics itself and many other fields, and explains the impact of genetics on contemporary culture. The volume contains the most recent views of the Nobel Laureate François Jacob on genetics and the nature of living things.

Contenu
Preface.- Introduction.- Overview of Contents.- An Historical Outline and Further Reading.- The Editors.- Interview with François Jacob; Anne Fagot-Largeault.- Genetics and the Life Sciences.- Genetics and the Human Lineage: Can Genetics Throw Some Light on the Evolution of the Human Lineage?; Francisco José Ayala, Miguel Ángel Capó, Camilo José Cela-Conde and Marcos Nadal.- Genetics and Neuroscience. Some Examples of their Recent Convergence and of the Continuing Nature-Nurture Controversy, With Emphasis on Sleep Physiology; Claude Debru.- Who Made the Genetic Code, How and By What?; Koichiro Matsuno.- Genetics, Life and Death: Genetics as Providing a Definition of Life and Death; Michel Morange.- Genetics and Philosophy of Science: The Reductionism Debate and Beyond.- Moving Beyond the Influence of Molecular Genetics on the Debate about Reductionism in Philosophy of Biology; Frederic Bouchard.- The concept of Gene in Contemporary Biology: Continuity or Dissolution?; Jean Gayón.- The Influence of Genetics on Philosophy of Science: Classical Genetics and the Structuralist View of Theories; Pablo Lorenzano.- Epi-Geneticization: Where Biological and Philosophical Thinking Meet; Linda Van Speybroeck, Gertrudis Van de Vijver and Dani De Waele.- Genetics and the Ethical, Legal and Sociological Debate.- Is DNA Revolutionizing Medicine?; Anne Fagot-Largeault.- The Harm to be a Clone; Jean-Yves Goffi.- Children of One's Own: Parenthood and the Illusion of Control; Jonathan Michael Kaplan.- Is a Transcultural Law for Human Genetics and Biotechnology Possible?; Carlos María Romeo-Casabona.- Genetics and Society: A Different View; Juan Manuel Torres.- Name Index.- Subject Index.