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9 Med., Health Care & Phil. 1 (2006)

handle is hein.journals/medhcph9 and id is 1 raw text is: Medicine, Health Care and Philosophy (2006) 9:1-2 DOI 10.1007/s 11019-006-0006-3 Editorial Genetics and its impact on society, healthcare and medicine Are human beings and human behaviour increas- ingly being presented and explained from a genetic vantage point? The growing influence of genetics has been the topic of many studies. Nelkin und Lindee (1995), for example, examined the effects of modern genetics on the mass culture of Western society. The results of their study show that diverse references to DNA, genes and genetics appear in the various media - be it films, television, the press, comics or advertisements. More and more fre- quently, the everyday media touch on the idea that the essence of man, his true self, is somehow or other to be found in his genes. Lippman (1991) also maintains that the differences between individuals are steadily being reduced to their different geno- types, a process she refers to as 'geneticization'. In more general terms, geneticization can be defined as a process whereby an increasing number of phenomena pertaining to human existence are being drawn into the realm of genetics (Ten Have, 2001). Apart from the discussion about the question to what extent there actually is a process of geneticization, it might very well be argued that modern genetics has triggered an amazing amount of ethical and philosophical debate, perhaps more than any other scientific endeavour hitherto (Burley and Harris, 2002). The first five articles in this issue exemplify different aspects of this debate. The author of the first essay in this issue, Juan Manuel Torres, argues that the growing use of genetic tests has triggered a shift in the meaning of health and unhealth as well as the development of a new taxonomy of health concepts. Furthermore, Torres claims that this theoretical shift has impor- tant similarities with a Kuhnean paradigm shift and offers new perspectives when it comes to answering the question of whether Western society is going through a process of geneticization. Klaus Hoeyer and Niels Lyn6e focus on a project exploring donors' motivation to provide blood and healthcare data for genetic research. The authors regard anthropology as providing reasons to rethink the role of autonomy, as it is tradition- ally understood. In addition, they argue that ethical scrutiny should direct its focus more on issues of social responsibility and institutional arrangements instead of autonomy. In the third paper of this issue, Deafness, genetics and dysgenics, Rui Nunes develops the concept of dysgenics. Whereas eugenics involves genetic selection with the aim to improve human beings, dysgenics entails the genetic selection of traits that are commonly regarded as disabling, such as deafness. As in eugenics, this selection can be pursued positively, by trying to increase the overall number of people with a certain genetic trait, or negatively, by preventing the birth of children without the genetic trait. Professionals working in reproductive medicine will have to discuss emerging dysgenic practices more inten- sively. Michael Calnan et al. explore the implications of new genetic health technologies for the health service. Whereas some claim genetics will radically transform health care, other argue that genetic interventions will only have a fairly limited scope. Given the uncertainty about the impact of genetic health technologies more research has to be done in order to develop solid strategies for the respon- sible implementation of new genetic technologies. In the fifth and last essay in the genetics series, Dietmar Hibner focuses on genetic testing and private insurance. Objections against the use of genetic information in private health and life insurance usually involve the concern that carriers of unfavourable genetic structures might have problems in obtaining affordable insurance cover- age. However, the author focuses on the much less discussed mirror image argument: the concern that people with favourable genetic test results might obtain insurance coverage under more advanta- geous conditions. Hence, customers might endeav- our to sell their body. The next two articles deal with the legacy of Platonic and Aristotelian philosophy. Firstly, Jan Helge Solbakk explores the relevance of several ancient Greek notions when it comes to the didactics of medical ethics. More specifically, the author addresses didactical problems by means of an analysis and assessment of the notions of catharsis and holistic therapy as they are developed in the Platonic dialogues Charmides and the

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