Epigenetics and Responsibility

Ethical Perspectives

Emma Moormann, Anna Smajdor, Daniela Cutas

• Publisher: Bristol University Press
• Year: 2024
• Print ISBN: 9781529225426
• eBook ISBN: 9781529225433
• Edition: 1
• Topic: Philosophy
• Subtopic: Genetics & Genomics

EPUB and EPDF available Open Access under CC-BY-NC-ND licence.

We tend to hold people responsible for their choices, but not for what they can't control: their nature, genes or biological makeup.

This thought-provoking collection redefines the boundaries of moral responsibility. It shows how epigenetics reveals connections between our genetic make-up and our environment. The essays challenge established notions of human nature and the nature/nurture divide and suggest a shift in focus from individual to collective responsibility.

Uncovering the links between our genetic makeup, environment and experiences, this is an important contribution to ongoing debates on ethics, genetics and responsibility.

Table of contents

• Cover
• Title Page
• Copyright Page
• Table of Contents
• Notes on Contributors
• Introduction: Epigenetics and Responsibility
• 1 Epigenetics, Bioethics and a Developmental Outlook on Life
• 2 Epigenetics and Forward-Looking Collective Responsibility
• 3 Luck, Epigenetics and the Worth of Collective Agents
• 4 Pictures at an Exhibition: Epigenetics, Harm and the Non-Identity Problem
• 5 Epigenetics, Parenthood and Responsibility for Children
• 6 AI and Epigenetic Responsibility
• 7 Responsibility and the Microbiome
• Index