Books
Ethical problems of the new biology The once blissful marriage of science and society is now, if not yet ready for divorce, rife with suspicion, fear, and mutual recriminations. The marriage was, from the start, a union of convenience: In exchange for a large dowry and a vow of faithful, unquestioning support for unrestricted inquiry, science promised to protect and defend society, and, by means of its technological progeny, to make the life of society's citizens less poor, nasty, brutish, and short. Only hypocrites and ingrates would want that marriage annulled. Yet no one should be surprised at the emergence of domestic strife. Few things have caused as much tension as our present and projected powers—derived from advances in the biomedical sciences—to intervene in the human body and mind and to alter the boundaries of birth and death. When the manipulation of nature in the service of humanity reaches to manipulating humanity itself, this beneficiary of previous interventions necessarily begins to wonder about the goals of the entire venture. The birth of the field of bioethics, now in its second decade, testifies to this growing social concern—a concern, I hasten to add, shared by many scientists. David G. Lygre, a professor of biochemistry at Central Washington University, now has contributed to a growing list of books on the so-called "biological revolution." His book, "Life Manipulation: From Test-Tube Babies to Aging," written for the not-uneducated layperson, is, as the dust jacket tells us, about "the human implications of cloning, biofeedback, parthenogenesis, psychosurgery, delayed aging, test-tube babies, redesigned organs, artificial wombs, selective abortions, human gene splicing, artificial insemination, sex preselection of fetuses, life sustenance after brain death, prenatal diagnosis of birth defects, and other 'wonders' of biomedical research." It is assured of wide dissemination as an alternate Book-of-the-Month Club selection. Each of the seven central chapters is defined by related biomedical technologies—from "Artificial Insemination" through "Genetic Engineering," to "New Minds." Each chapter surveys the present and pro-
What, we want to know, makes people precious or important? Would they Concern of scientists be as precious or important if they abandoned the search for knowland nonscientists edge? "Life Manipulation" is not without grows over dilemmas its virtues. It makes up in scope for what it, necessarily, lacks in depth. raised by new methods The author is serious and fair-minded, evincing a tone of even-handed for manipulating life yet grave concern. Like many sensible eople, he wants all the humanitarian enefits of biomedical science at the least to our humanity. He pre"Life Manipulation: From Test-Tube sents cost the scientific materials rather Babies to Aging" by David G. Lygre, clearly, with appropriate Walker & Co., New York, 1979,177 pages, to a layperson's need forconcessions simplifica$9.95 tion. Though some may find it objecReviewed by Leon R. Kass, Henry R. Luce tionable, I welcome Lygre's willingProfessor of the Liberal Arts of Humanness to speculate on futuristic possiBiology at the University of Chicago, who bilities—for example, artificial combines M.D. and Ph.D. (in biochemwombs, genetic engineering, antiaging istry) degrees and laboratory researchtechniques—precisely because they experience with activity during the pastpermit us to understand better the 10 years as a university teacher and reimplications of present searcher in bioethics—the study of eth-human and the possible conseical issues raised by advances in bio- possibilities quences of traveling further along our medical science. current path. The discussion of social, ethical, and legal matters, however, leaves jected technological powers and then much to be desired. Although some of briefly discusses relevant "social, the important issues are correctly ethical, and legal concerns." The brief identified, Lygre does not advance first chapter ("Secrets") is simply a the discussion beyond the initial preface introducing the fact and the stages, or beyond that of previous gravity of the coming control of life. semipopular books on this topic, some The concluding chapter ("Science of which he cites in his bibliography. and Society") begins with the re- There are all too many quotations combinant-DNA debate and explores from Time, Newsweek, and local both sides of the question of whether newspapers, and too little attention there should be unrestricted freedom to the serious—although not always for scientific inquiry. It concludes much superior—literature that has that "on occasion... the development been produced by contemporary of certain scientific knowledge will thinkers on these matters. Apart from the not inconsiderable just have to wait a while" if we are "to purpose of clarifying his own mind, I have a society worth saving." This conclusion, which in many frankly do not see what Lygre hopes ways accords with my own, is quite to accomplish by publishing yet anremarkable for a practicing scien- other call to attend to the seriousness tist—especially one who is clearly of our situation. For he offers us little thoughtful and sober, and whose help, not only in figuring out what we criticism of "big science" is not a front should do, but also in understanding for anti-American or Marxist ideolo- more deeply why we are ethically so gy. However, one wonders why Mao perplexed. Zedong's (Mao Tse-tung) empty sloIn this he is hardly alone. Indeed, gan—"Of all things, people are the the more important failings of the most precious"—is the epigraph to book are symptomatic of endemic the last chapter, and is echoed by problems in western liberal democLygre in his last paragraph: "Knowl- racy. To identify and understand edge is less important than people." these problems is today the truly
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important task, for I suspect that our difficulties in coping with the new biology are but one more manifestation of what some have called the crisis of the West. For example, Lygre is a partisan of wisdom: "Our greatest need is not knowledge, but wisdom." Yet when we search his book for clues about where wisdom is to be found, it seems that Lygre may believe that it is the most equitably distributed thing in the world, since he also is suspicious of moral authority and a friend of moral pluralism: "Once the technology is available, we will find it difficult to prevent applications we dislike, for there will be honest differences of opinion about what is appropriate. As with abortion, the law probably will allow each person to follow his own moral drummer." Liberal democracy also rejects the existence of ruling moral authority and gives priority to private freedom of choice. But its greatest theoreticians had no illusions that free choice necessarily meant wise choice—not even for the choosing individual, let alone for the common good. We prefer today to praise people for doing what they think is right rather than for doing what is right, because our conventional wisdom teaches us that one person's right is another person's wrong. With such views of morality, the call for wisdom is self-contradictory. Next, there is the question of standards. Where does a thoughtful human being look to find the standards or grounds for moral judgments? This problem confronts even the private decision maker. Though Lygre's own tacit moral sentiments are, I suspect, at least dependent on the Judeo-Christian tradition, in print he gives the religious standard short shrift. He is at best equivocal also about nature as a standard, though he hardly gives the matter the serious attention it deserves. On the one hand, he rejects arguments that appeal to the "unnaturalness" or artificial insemination and other such manipulations, because "the crucial moral issue is not whether certain methods are natural' or 'unnatural'; it is to decide wisely when we should use them." Yet, on the other hand, he opposes those who "cringe at the prospect of death" because "it is a natural and necessary part of life." Reason cannot be the standard either, because each person's reason counsels differently. So to what does the search for wisdom turn? Lygre does not know where to turn; neither does modern liberal democracy. In the end, it takes refuge in the sentiments of compassion and sin48
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cerity. Yet it is precisely compassionate humanitarianism, the sincere desire to relieve humanity's estate, that animates the scientific project for the conquest of nature. The concern for private health, safety, and easy living, equally accessible to all, animates our increasingly welfare minded republic. This combination of humanitarianism, egalitarianism, hedonism, and technicism is not a recipe that promises to produce "a society worth saving," especially if its cries for wisdom are muffled by its confident belief that our traditional wellsprings of wisdom are all dried up. The modern scientific view of nature and of society has not only spawned a technology of great promise and great danger. It has, however indirectly and unintentionally, undermined the grounds of those ethical beliefs and standards so necessary, not just to deal with "life manipulation," but for the survival of free and dignified humanity, now threatened by barbarism of every variety. Here is the deepest source of our troubles. Here is where at least some of those thinkers who care for our future should turn their attention. D
nent Vapor-Liquid and Liquid-Liquid Equilibria. J. M. Prausnitz et al. xiii + 353 pages. Prentice-Hall Inc., Englewood Cliffs, N.J. 07632. 1980. $24.95.
Acute Toxicity in Theory and Practice. V. K. Brown, ix + 159 pages. John Wiley & Sons Inc., 605 Third Ave., New York, N.Y. 10016. 1980. $28.
Fitting Equations to Data. 2nd Ed. Cuthbert Daniel, Fred S. Wood, John W. Gorman, xviii + 458 pages. John Wiley & Sons Inc., 605 Third Ave., New York, N.Y. 10016. 1980. $21.95.
Advances in Photochemistry. Vol. 12. James N. Pitts Jr. et al. xiii + 358 pages. John Wiley & Sons Inc., 605 Third Ave., New York, N.Y. 10017.1980. $42.50.
Fragrances and Flavors. S. Torrey, editor, xi + 335 pages. Noyes Data Corp., Mill Rd. at Grand Ave., Park Ridge, N.J. 07656. 1980. $45.
Advances in X-Ray Analysis. Vol. 23. John R. Rhodes et al. xvii + 390 pages. Plenum Press, 227 West 17th St., New York, N.Y. 10011.1980. $45.
Fundamentals of Entomology and Plant Pathology. 2nd Ed. Louis L. Pyenson. xix + 364 pages. AVI Publishing Co., P.O. Box 831,250 Post Rd. East, Westport, Conn. 06880. 1980. $22.
Aquametry. 2nd Ed. Part 3. John Mitchell Jr., Donald M. Smith, xv + 851 pages. John Wiley & Sons Inc., 605 Third Ave., New York, N.Y. 10016.1980. $75. Biochemical Applications of Mass Spectrometry. First Supplementary Vol. George R. Waller, Otis C. Dermer, editors, xvii + 1279 pages. John Wiley & Sons Inc., 605 Third Ave., New York, N.Y. 10016.1980. $150. Biodégradation Techniques for Industrial Organic Wastes. D. J. DeRenzo, editor, χ + 358 pages. Noyes Data Corp., Mill Rd. at Grand Ave., Park Ridge, N.J. 07656.1980. $28. Chemistry and the Food System. A Study by the Committee on Chemistry & Public Affairs, American Chemical Society, xvi + 138 pages. American Chemical Society, 1155—16th St., N.W., Washington, D.C. 20036. 1980. $15 hardback; $9.00 paperback. Computer Applications to Chemical Engi neering. ACS Symposium Series 124. Robert G. Squires, G. V. Reklaitis, editors, xii + 511 pages. American Chemical Society, 1155—16th St., N.W., Washington, D.C. 20036. 1980. $37.50. Computer Calculations for Multicompo-
Concepts in Drug Metabolism. Part A. Peter Jenner, Bernard Testa, editors, xi + 409 pages. Marcel Dekker Inc., 270 Madison Ave., New York, N.Y. 10016. 1980. $49.50. Current Topics in Materials Science. Vol. 4. E. Kaldis, editor, xiii + 596 pages. Elsevier Science Publishers, P.O. Box 211, Amsterdam, the Netherlands; Elsevier North-Holland Inc., 52 Vanderbilt Ave., New York, N.Y. 10017. 1980. $102.50. Enzymes: The Interface Between Tech nology and Economics. James P. Danehy, Bernard Wolnak, editors, χ + 204 pages. Mar cel Dekker Inc., 270 Madison Ave., New York. N.Y. 10016. 1980. $25. Equilibrium Thermodynamics for Engi neers and Scientists. R. W. Haywood, xxv + 430 pages. John Wiley & Sons Inc., 605 Third Ave., New York, N.Y. 10016. 1980. $55. The Exergy Method of Energy Systems Analysis. John E. Ahem, xii + 295 pages. John Wiley & Sons Inc., 605 Third Ave., New York, N.Y. 10016.1980. $27.50. Experimental Organic Chemistry. Michael P. Doyle, William S. Mungall. xvii + 490 pages. John Wiley & Sons Inc., 605 Third Ave., New York, N.Y. 10016. 1980. $17.95. Fatty Acids Manufacture. J. C. Johnson, editor, xii + 486 pages. Noyes Data Corp., Mill Rd. at Grand Ave., Park Ridge, N.J. 07656. 1980. $54.
Fundamentals of Pipe Flow. Robert P. Benedict, xix + 531 pages. John Wiley & Sons Inc., 605 Third Ave., New York, N.Y. 10016. 1980. $39.95. Fungal Polysaccharides. ACS Symposium Series 126. Paul A. Sandford, Kazuo Matsuda, editors, ix + 284 pages. American Chemical Society, 1155—16th St., N.W., Washington, D.C. 20036. 1980. $31.50. Gas Tables. 2nd Ed. Joseph H. Keenan, Jing Chao, Joseph Kaye. xiv + 217 pages. John Wiley & §pns Inc., 605 Third Ave., New York, N.Y. 10016. 1980. $22.50. Heat Transfer Equipment. Mahesh V. Bhatia, Paul N. Cheremisinoff, editors. 232 pages. Technomic Publishing Co., 265 Post Rd. West, Westport, Conn. 06880. 1980. $35. Homogeneous Catalysis. George W. Parshall. xi + 240 pages. John Wiley & Sons Inc., 605 Third Ave., New York, N.Y. 10016. 1980. $28. How to Obtain Abundant Clean Energy. Linda Baine McGown, John O'M. Bockris. xii + 258 pages. Plenum Press, 227 West 17th St., New York, N.Y. 10011. 1980. $14.95.
