Review of In Pursuit of Nanoethics

Excerpt

A seductive word which sparks images of animals chasing down prey, of relentless motion towards a goal or purpose. On first picking up In Pursuit of Nanoethics [1], I found myself asking if, seven years after the advent of this journal, we are still chasing down a definition for “nanoethics”? On first glance, I would expect that a title such as this one gives the reader a similar impression; however, the introduction to this volume makes it clear that this is not the definition of “pursuit” from which Bert Gordijn and Anthony Mark Cutter are operating. Instead, they trace the lineage of the word from its first usages to its use in the title of this journal. They then move towards the debates around “nanoethics” and how these debates have transformed with time. In order to explore the continuing debate around interactions of nanotechnology and ethics, this book is divided into four topical areas: Concepts and Novelty, Opportunities and Challenges, Risks and Precaution, and Public Debate and Policy. Gordijn and Cutter’s introduction both sets the scene for this volume of pieces (many of which are from authors familiar to the readers of this journal) and presents a short synopsis of each piece. Rather than repeat the work done in this section, I’ll provide impressions of the pieces as well as reflect on the themes of individual sections and the volume as a whole. …