Abstract

The ethical assessment of new technologies raises two principal concerns: the need to develop effective policies and legislation, and the reconsideration of the ethical frameworks in which these policies and laws are developed. The importance of rapid, accurate examinations of tensions between Philosophy and Law and the relationship between philosophical principles and empirical data has never been greater.

The Concise Encyclopedia of Ethics of New Technologies includes 23 articles previously published in the highly-acclaimed Encyclopedia of Applied Ethics, nine updated articles, and five new articles, commissioned especially for this volume. Over half of the previously published articles include updated facts and bibliographic citations. Authors of genetics articles have updated their works to include the most recent developments and publications. New articles include: "Cloning," "Geneticization," "Health Technology Assessment," "Intrinsic and Instrumental Value," and "Novel Foods."

• Articles fall into these subject categories: Medical Ethics; Scientific Ethics; Theories of Ethics; Environmental Ethics; Legal Ethics; Ethical Concepts

"Chadwick carefully places technological advances within both the ethical frameworks they generate and the public policy issues necessary for implementation....The articles are excellent, scholarly, and valuable to a wide range of readers, advanced undergraduates to professionals." --CHOICE

"Individuals with an interest in technology are likely to find this work to be a valuable source of information. The text would nicely complement libraries with science, technology, and health care sections." --AMERICAN REFERENCE BOOKS ANNUAL

"During the last ten years, we have seen a proliferation of encyclopedias devoted to ethics and applied ethics. What makes this volume stand out is its relatively reasonable price. Particularly strong in its coverage of genetics, it also gives attention to some environmental, medical, and nuclear issues. In addition, a number of the articles are devoted to basic ethical principles such as intrinsic and instrumental values, human nature, the concept of life, and slippery slope arguments. Contributed by a variety of international scholars and averaging ten pages in length, the 37 signed articles are nicely organized; each begins with an outline and a glossary and ends with a brief bibliography. More than half of the 37 articles appear to be reprints or updates of articles that were originally published in the Encyclopedia of Applied Ethics (LJ 1/98)... Libraries that cannot afford the more expensive reference sources will find this overview to be well worth the price." --LIBRARY JOURNAL

"[the encyclopedia] impresses as a highly applicable reference work, particularly for readers with an interest in biotechnology, medical tehcnology, and biomedical ethics. The book is easy to use for reference but also serves to bring attention to important new issues and emphasises the need to develop the conceptual basis for analysis as new technologies emerge. For that reason it is likely to become essential reading for ethicists, medical students, scientists, and others working with the ethical implications of technology." --JOURNAL OF MEDICAL ETHICS