The dramatic advances in DNA technology over the last few years are the stuff of science fiction. It is now not only possible to clone human beings it is happening. For the first time since the creation of the earth four billion years ago, or the emergence of mankind 10 million years ago, people will be able to choose their children's' sex, height, colour, personality traits and intelligence. It will even be possible to create 'superhumans' by mixing human genes with those of other animals for extra strength or longevity. But is this desirable? What are the moral and political consequences? Will it mean anything to talk about 'human nature' any more? Is this the end of human beings? Post Human Society is a passionate analysis of the greatest political and moral problem ever to face the human race.

The Problem with NatureOur Posthuman Future: Consequences of the Biotechnology Revolution

Although applications are being developed and have reached the market, nanopharmacy to date is generally still conceived as an emerging technology. Its concept is ill-defined. Nanopharmacy can also be construed as a converging technology, which combines features of multiple technologies, ranging from nanotechnology to medicine and ICT. It is still debated whether its features give rise to new ethical issues or that issues associated with nanopharma are merely an extension of existing issues in the underlying fields. We argue here that, regardless of the alleged newness of the ethical issues involved, developments occasioned by technological advances affect the roles played by stakeholders in the field of nanopharmacy to such an extent that this calls for a different approach to responsible innovation in this field. Specific features associated with nanopharmacy itself and features introduced to the associated converging technologies- bring about a shift in the roles of stakeholders that call for a different approach to responsibility. We suggest that Value Sensitive Design is a suitable framework to involve stakeholders in addressing moral issues responsibly at an early stage of development of new nanopharmaceuticals.

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Ethics and Nanopharmacy: Value Sensitive Design of New Drugs

In general, innovation governance models, which deal with organizational structure, innovation process, strategy and leadership, are becoming increasingly important for innovative companies for effective innovation management. Moreover, responsible innovation (RI) as a topic among academic scholars and policy makers is gaining importance, in order to address some of the ethical concerns and dilemmas as issues of governance in general and with special reference to technological innovations. This article attempts to show that technological innovation processes require a circular RI process instead of a linear one with embedded ethical decision-making framework for ethical innovation governance.

Innovation process and ethics in technology: an approach to ethical (responsible) innovation governance

Theranostics signals the integrated application of molecular diagnostics, therapeutic treatment and patient response monitoring. Such integration has hitherto neglected another crucial dimension: coproduction of theranostic scientific knowledge, novel technological development and broader sociopolitical systems whose boundaries are highly porous. Nanodiagnostics applications to theranostics are one of the most contested and potentially volatile postgenomics innovation trajectories as they build on past and current tensions and promises surrounding both nanotechnology and personalized medicine. Recent science policy research suggests that beneficial outcomes of innovations do not simply flow from the generation of scientific knowledge and technological capability in a linear or automatic fashion. Thus, attempts to offset public concerns about controversial emerging technologies by expert risk assurances can be unproductive. Anticipation provides a more robust basis for governance that supports genuine healthcare progress. This article presents a synthesis of novel policy approaches that directly inform theranostics medicine and the future(s) of postgenomics healthcare.

Responsible healthcare innovation: anticipatory governance of nanodiagnostics for theranostics medicine

https://papers.ssrn.com/sol3/Delivery.cfm/SSRN_ID2701321_code1186949.pdf?abstractid=2701321&mirid=1

Innovation Process and Ethics in Technology: An Approach to Ethical (Responsible) Innovation Governance

From manufacturing to medicine, nanotechnology implies revolutionary change. However, the sweeping changes wrought by a technological advance of this magnitude are likely to come at a price that includes unforeseen environmental impact, disruptions in industry, displacement of workers, and deeply controversial applications of the technology and its offspring.
Nanotechnology: Ethics and Society provides a conceptually clear and straightforward ethical framework, in which pragmatic questions can be raised regarding the impact of nano-related technologies. The book focuses on general issues related to nanotechnology in nanomaterials and manufacturing as well as impacts on the marketplace and workforce. After an overview of the nanotechnology revolution, the text illustrates key concepts in the assessment model and then applies this model to a case study related to human enhancement technologies. It also offers an ethical agenda for addressing the challenges of nanotechnology.
Nanotechnology promises to be the next great technological revolution. This important volume provides a framework for deciding how best to take advantage of nanotechnology opportunities while also minimizing the harm of negative effects.

Nanotechnology: Ethics and Society

The author explores how a well designed and delivered course in healthcare ethics can meet multiple curricular goals in a health administration program. The basic philosophy, content, and methods of instruction are presented along with discussion of the effectiveness of using ethics as a platform for development of critical analysis and decision-making skills. The author illustrates how the course meets specific curricular criteria for program accreditation by the Commission on Accreditation of Healthcare Management Education (CAHME). Finally, a number of specific challenges related to the design and delivery of an effective course in healthcare ethics are addressed including course design, materials of instruction, and faculty.

Healthcare ethics: a pedagogical goldmine.

A journey into the future of medicine and the ethical concerns raised by the use of techniques of nanotechnology, biotechnology, and cognitive science for the purpose of human enhancement.

Deb Bennett-Woods

Papers

Nanotechnology: Ethics and Society

Healthcare ethics: a pedagogical goldmine.

Nanotechnology: Nanotechnology and Human Enhancement