HU332

Bioethics
Week 9 Study Questions

1. What do Mastroianni and Kahn argue is the historical significance of the HIV/AIDS advocacy
community in the ethics of biomedical research involving human subjects (544)?
2. Explain Patricia King’s notion of the “dilemma of difference” (549).
3. What is Beauchamp’s objection to the concept of a “vulnerable group”? Specifically, why does
he think so many groups have been labeled as vulnerable (558L)?
4. How does Beauchamp distinguish between coercive situations and constraining situations
(559)?
5. Explain Murray’s distinction between disputes over interests and disputes over identities (574-
5).
6. Steinbock (in Murray) counsels “humility in the face of unknown risks and limited human
knowledge.” Is there a conceptual problem in recommending attitudes such as humility and
awe (577)? Explain.
7. Bostrom and Sandberg explain what they argue are the many sides of authenticity. What is
authenticity, and why in general is the possibility of cognitive enhancement a problem for it
(585)?
8. What is a “positional good” and why do Bostrom and Sandberg deny that cognitive
enhancements are purely positional goods (587)?
9. Explain what Francis Fukuyama takes to be the greatest posthuman threat posed by
biotechnology (McKenny 592).
10. McKenny objects to positions of those like Arendt and Sandel who oppose the outright rejection
of the idea of the givenness of human nature. What does McKenny take to be the problem
instead (594L)?