Ethics in motion —
Building an ethical society
WE WORK TO
- promote exploration of important ethical issues arising in the digital and genomic era
- demine ethical minefields created by modern sciences
- make ethics central to every decision
Current projects
iGLAS – The International Genetic Literacy and Attitudes Survey (iGLAS)
The International Genetic Literacy and Attitudes Survey (iGLAS) has been developed to evaluate what people know, think and feel about genetics and genetic research. Genetic research is the fastest developing science, and what may seem impossible one day can soon become routine. As such, it is becoming more important for all people to have a good understanding of basic genetic principles so that they can engage with important social debates in an informed and meaningful way.
Previous research in this area has focused on medical genetics where relevant information can be provided to patients at the time of diagnosis and when treatments are being selected. However, it is important that people have a more general understanding of genetics if they are to make informed decisions about how genetic information should be used in areas such as education, law, consumer choice (including direct to consumer genetic testing) and health management. iGLAS was developed to address these more general aspects of genetic literacy.
KEY FINDINGS:
languages
PARTICIPANTS
2. iGLAS-LE: Exploring people’s views on the current level of protection from misuse of genetic data, ethical issues and legal regulation.
We live in the era of the genome. Genetic information is already widely used, and this use will expand dramatically in the future. It is crucial that people’s genetic literacy improves, because without it they will not be able to make informed decisions about the use of their genetic information. Moreover, societies need to develop ways to regulate the use of genetic information. How genetic science will transform societies in the future largely depends on how people understand genetics today. I often hear from people that detailed knowledge may not be necessary to engage in discussions of genetic applications. This is one of the questions that we are addressing in this international study – how much knowledge is actually necessary so that people are equipped to make informed decisions? A little bit of knowledge may actually be more damaging than no knowledge at all.
We believe that training in genetics is necessary for all people, and is crucial for those with power to change the future: teachers, lawyers, policy makers. Our consortium works on developing genetic knowledge of these key stakeholders.
Advances in genetic science have enabled us to extract increasingly more meaning from our DNA, including to predict traits such as health, educational performance, aggressiveness, and intelligence. This means that there is significant scope for misuse of genetic data by different stakeholders, including health insurance companies, enforcement agencies, and consumer and voter behaviour influencers. To minimise misuses and impact of misuses, and increase positive use, we need to ensure ethical use of genetic data; as well as to update laws and societal structures. Intervention is required urgently considering genetic data are and will continue to be widely used in many areas.
Old dilemmas, new perspectives:
Oedipus Rex in the Genomic Era:
Law, Society and Human Behaviour
This book explores the answers to fundamental questions about the human mind and human behaviour with the help of two ancient texts. The first is Oedipus Rex (Oedipus Tyrannus) by Sophocles, written in the 5th century BCE. The second is human DNA, with its origins around 4 billion years ago, and continuously revised by chance and evolution. With Sophocles as a guide, the authors take a journey into the Genomic era, an age marked by ever expanding insights into the human genome. Over the course of this journey, the book explores themes of free will, fate, and chance; prediction, misinterpretation, and the burden that comes with knowledge of the future; self-fulfilling and self-defeating prophecies; the forces that contribute to similarities and differences among people; roots and lineage; and the judgement of oneself and others.
Using Oedipus Rex as its lens, this novel work provides an engaging overview of behavioural genetics that demonstrates its relevance across the humanities and the social and life sciences. It will appeal in particular to students and scholars of genetics, education, psychology, sociology, and law.