Philosophy

The Cato Institute has asked Gregory Stock and Michael Sandel to participate in a debate about the legitimacy of using medical technologies for enhancement purposes. The debate question is framed thus:should medical research and practice focus on curing existing conditions or should it aim to enhance the physical and psychological condition of healthy human beings such that we will, in effect, be creating a healthier, stronger human species?

Write up the transcript of this debate (in other words – what would be the position of each of these people on the question above?).

The background materials for this paper are chapters 1-6 and 9 of Stock and the Sandel article. You are expected to use at least four (4) quotes from each of the texts in your papers.

READING: Gregory Stock/ Redesigning Humans: Choosing Our Genes, Changing Our future. Mariner Books. ISBN 0618340831

Article Reading: READ: Sandels article can be found here:
http://www.catholiceducation.org/articles/medical_ethics/me0056.html