What is human: Considerations of a genetic definition of human beings

The dissertation questions what is it to be human and what are the consequences of genetic research on possible responses to this question. The thesis of this work is that an understanding of the human which integrates the genetic or biological with the conscious or existential—what is termed “bio-existentialism”—is required in response to innovations in biotechnology. The Human Genome Project (HGP), serves as the focal point to this work, with genetic engineering discussed in the final chapter.; The work begins with the question “Are genes us?” and an introduction to the HGP and the opportunities which it offers regarding understandings of human beings. A critique of the works of Hannah Arendt and Martin Heidegger informs the argument that, first, the definition of the human has changed over time, with profound implications for how humans treat one another. Second, these understandings of the human must be reconciled with biological research if it is to overcome an increasingly popularized genetic-reductionist view of humans.; The second chapter concentrates on how science and technology affect society. The bulk of the chapter concentrates on Heidegger's critique of modern technology, with some discussion of the works of Donna Haraway and Michel Foucault. A history of eugenics is used to demonstrate how technological (mis)information may be used to social and political ends.; The third chapter offers a brief history of biological research, and a more detailed exposition of the origins and development of the HGP. The fourth chapter, focuses on the ethical, legal, and social implications (ELSI) component of the HGP. This chapter critically examines the role of ELSI in easing fears about genetic research, along with the problems and promises of ELSI.; The final chapter moves beyond the HGP into a consideration of the future of genetic engineering, and a continuance of the critique of a purely ethical approach. What is needed in addition to ethics, it is argued, is a political approach, one which encompasses and in some cases directs scientific and social practices.