[ExI] Shaping the new Presiden't Council on Bioethics

[Stefano Vaj]

2009/8/26 Max More <max at maxmore.com>:
> For those disturbed by the work of Business Council, you'll find this
> interesting:
>
> The President's Council on Bioethics, Take Two
> Can Obama do better than Bush when it comes to biotech freedom?
> http://www.reason.com/news/show/135639.html

Very interesting reading.

It remains however the case that "democracy" as in "collective
self-determination" works for prohibitionism only as long as consensus
can be maintained as to the prohibition concerned.

The real issue with "progressive bioconservative" is that they want,
insist, and preach, that the democratic consensus be oriented towards
prohibition, e.g, of reproductive cloning or PDG for the individuals
interested in adopting it.

The fact that they care less for the individual freedom than they
might does not reflect at all in the idea, e.g., that a majority could
choose to implement regulation making PDG a routine, non-optional step
for all IVF procedures administered by authorised institution in the
relevant country. This would be equally limiting, in some sense, for
individual freedom in view of a democratic oversight of "what is best"
for the parties more directly concerned, but at the same time would
have an inverted sign.

-- 
Stefano Vaj