The Human Genome Project
Legal, Social and Ethical Implications
july 1995
Foreword:
The ethical, social and legal aspects of the Human Genome Project (HGP) are discussed and evaluated nationally and internationally.
The impact of the HGP on society could reach beyond our imagination, and may very well change society for the better, or for the worse. Undoubtedly, the world will look different. Therefore we in Israel, and the entire world as well, must prepare our society to challenge it from every aspect - legal, social and ethical.
This workshop, organized by the Israel Academy for Sciences and Humanities, assembled leading scientists and scholars in relevant fields from abroad and from Israel. It was designed to introduce and discuss these topics and their implications in Israel.
The following topics were handled in the four sessions of the Workshop:
Session I:
- Introduction: The international background of the HGP.
- The U.S. HGP: Why ´´ELSI´´.
- ´´Wrongful life´´ suits by defective newborns for faulty genetic counseling.
Session II:
- Human genome analysis: Personal and public responsibility for health.
- Human Genome: A new conception of disease and medicine, or a new conception of humanism.
- Human genome mapping: Guidelines with a Jewish perspective.
Session III:
- Implications of the HGP for society: Individual choices versus public health.
- Distribution of genetic information: Moral considerations.
- The political implications of genetic screenings: State vs. science.
Session IV:
General discussion.