This project will provide a systematic exploration of the deepest points of contact between the best contemporary ethical theories and the prospective outcomes and ramifications of the Human Genome Initiative. The following objectives will be the focus of the research: (1) To explore the scope and limits of obligations to prevent harm to future generations. (2) To ascertain the boundaries of the domain of distributive justice. (3) To examine the implications of the possibilities for genetic intervention for equality of opportunity. (4) To investigate the implications of anticipated advances in genetic knowledge and in the capacity for genetic intervention for our conceptions of the nature of the self and its boundaries. (5) To compare and contrast the ethical foundations of modern genetic research with the pseudo-scientific, repressive eugenics of the past and to distinguish between the latter and """"""""reformist"""""""" or """"""""progressive"""""""" eugenics of Muller and others in the first decades of this century. (6) To determine the extent to which ethical theorizing, at least within its present resources, can provide guidance for private individuals and public policy makers. The key design elements of this project are (a) a carefully- thought-out division of labor among an impressive team of philosophers well-versed in ethical theory and Bioethics; (b) a strategy for analyzing the ethical issues that emphasizes the interrelatedness of the six objectives, and, (c) close cooperation with an outstanding multidisciplinary group of consultants to ensure that the ethical analysis remains in fruitful contact with the concrete issues of personal choice and public policy raised by advances in genetics. The primary vehicle for disseminating the research product will be a jointly- authored, systematic and unified scholarly book that will illuminate the most fundamental ethical justifications for human genetic research and the development of technologies for genetic intervention.
