The Ethical Canary: Science, Society, and the Human Spirit

by Margaret Somerville

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.

Genres: Philosophy, Nonfiction, Science, Canada

368 pages, Paperback

First published April 26, 2004

Reviews

[Melodie Wendel-Cook · Rating 4 out of 5]

It was good to read medical profession POV on still very relevant topics. It's a good medical ethics course book.

[Gav · Rating 2 out of 5]

Ms Somerville's writing seemed profound when I read her when I was 17 years old, but now I see the faults in her reasoning. The book uses interesting examples that keeps it fresh; however, it was irritating how the author consistently reaches conclusions by gut/instinctual feelings rather than reasoned arguments. As I went through the book it was always mysterious how the conclusions were reached, since it appeared that the author reached the conclusion first and rationalized it afterward.

Overall, this book is a good if you are a conservative Roman Catholic and want some arguments to use to hold your own for a little longer against better reasoned arguments by better ethicists.

[Catherine · Rating 1 out of 5]

This book was not nearly as interesting as it promised to be. I gave it up part-way through.