THE EVOLUTION OF THINKING AND IDEAS WITH SPECIAL REFERENCE TO THE POLITICS OF REPRODUCTION

1
THE EVOLUTION OF THINKING AND IDEAS WITH SPECIAL
REFERENCE TO THE POLITICS OF REPRODUCTION
Cover design from Integrated Sciences

• Irina Pollard, Dept Biological Sciences,
  Macquarie University,
• Sydney, NSW 2109, Australia
• e-mail ipollard_at_rna.bio.mq.edu.au

2
MODEL OF THE MIND AS UNDERSTOOD IN THE MIDDLE AGES
Drawing of the orbits of the mind by the
Paracelsian mystic Robert Fludd (1574-1637),
based on the classic three-cell model of the
brain. The first paired ventricle - sensus
communis or sensory analysis - is situated at the
front of the brain and communicates with the
middle ventricle ratio, cognatio aestimatio
or reason, thought judgment - in the forebrain,
which connects through a narrow canal with the
last ventricle - memoria or memory in the
brainstem
3
THE EVOLUTION OF IDEAS AT VARIOUS LEVELS OF
POSSIBILITY
MIND THOUGHTS
Genetic
Organizational
BIOLOGICAL
Ecological
Culture Language Ideology
Social
Secular Religious
Superstition
Innate Political Legal
MIND THOUGHTS
Ethical
Aesthetical
(Illustrations from Johnson, Rayle Wedberg
Biology an Introduction Benjamin/Cummings,
1984)
4
NEW IDEAS ORIGINATE THROUGH EXPERIENCE,
KNOWLEDGE, SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY
(Drawing by Betty Thorn)
Lepromatous leprosy (courtesy Dr. S.
Lucas, University College Hospital, London)
THALIDOMIDE - Harmless Tranquillizer?
- Teratogen?
- Pain Reliever?
- Cure for Leprosy?
- Cancer Treatment?
From S. Mader Human Biology. McGraw-Hill, 2000
5
ON THE EVOLUTION OF IDEAS MEMES AND GENES ARE
CO-EVOLVING UNITS DRIVING SOMATIC EVOLUTION
Brain uses reasoning and
imagination
Ideas Inferential or Epistemic
(facts reasoning)
(beliefs, perceptual experience theory of
knowledge relating to culture religion)
ON THE EVOLVING COMPLEXITY OF IDEAS A
PERSPECTIVE FROM THE ASSISTED REPRODUCTIVE
TECHNOLOGIES
(from The Good Weekend, November 9, 2002)
6
TOWARDS A CREATIVE FUTURE
(from The Sydney Morning Herald December 21-22,
2002)
CHALLENGING THE NOTIONS OF HUMAN NATURE AND THE
CAPACITY FOR ETHICAL CHOICE
1. CLINICAL IN VITRO FERTILIZATION TECHNOLOGY
(from H. Leese Human Reproduction and IVF.
Macmillan, 1988)
What is normal birthing? (from Good Weekend,
November 8, 2003)
7
2. MALE-FACTOR INFERTILITY INTRACYTOPLASMIC SPERM
INJECTION TECHNOLOGY
3. DESIGNER CHILDREN AND GENE TECHNOLOGY TODAYS
HOTTEST THREE BIOTECHNOLOGY DEVELOPMENTS ARE
a) Greater knowledge about genetic causation b)
Neuropharmacology c) Prolongation of life
The human gene for telomerase has already been
patented by the Geron Corporation It has already
been suggested that we will be able to sidestep
the problem of consent in genetic engineering
through the use of artificial chromosomes, which
can be added to a childs normal genetic
inheritance but switched on after the childs old
enough to give informed consent
8
4. STEM CELLS AND CLONING TECHNOLOGY A BORN
AGAIN - REPRODUCTIVE CLONING
Dolly, the first mammal cloned from an adult cell
nucleus her demise creates uncertainty about
cloning
Does the clone bear the scars of its parents
aging DNA the lived life - or does cloning
somehow restore genes to a state of original
elegance? (Rosamond Purcell, 1987)
(from the Bulletin, August 5, 2003)
9
B THERAPEUTIC CLONING GROWING BODY PARTS TO
ORDER
10
5. GRAND OLD PARENTS THE TECHNOLGY OF MAKING
MIDDLE-AGED WOMEN FERTILE
Rashpal Singh 52 and Rajbir Kaur 50 Married for
24 years, they have two daughters but have sought
medical help for a male heir - I need a son to
complete my family, says Rajbir (from India
Today, December 22, 2003)
Dalip Singh 58 and Savinder Kaur 56 Ten years
after the menopause, Savinder conceived
quadruplets through her nieces donor eggs. Fetal
reduction converted them to twins (from India
Today, December 22, 2003)
11
EVOLVING SOCIETY - EVOLVING ASSISTED REPRODUCTION
(from India Today, December 22, 2003)
12
(From New Scientist 10 January, 2004, p 30)