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Interview

Medicine, Politics & Atrocities

Jonathan Glover is one of the leading figures in medical ethics, but he is also interested in political philosophy. Paul Sheehy interviewed him recently at King’s College London.

Professor Jonathan Glover is Director of the Centre For Medical Law and Ethics at King’s College London. The author of numerous books and articles, his best-known work is the medical ethics classic Causing Death and Saving Lives.

A world in which technologies such as pre-implantation genetic diagnosis (PGD) and nuclear replacement based cloning are realities may seem to many like a eugenics adventure playground. What is the role of philosophy – to discern the dangers and to suggest ways of addressing them?

I think that’s right about the role of philosophy. When new technologies are first developed we get a polarisation between a few scientists who are very excited, and gravitate towards the technological imperative – if we can do it we should – and members of the public who are at first appalled.

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