Being Me : What it Means to be Human

For as long as human beings have existed they have sought to understand their nature and position in the universe.

In the Middle Ages religion offered a clear hierarchy with man in a commanding role.

In the post-Darwinian age this became more complex.Developments in science have raised ever more questions.

Even distinguishing between life and death becomes increasingly difficult in an age when life can be created in a test tube and bodies can be kept alive after the death of the brain.

At what stage in this process does a person begin or cease to be a unique being or even to be human?

Are our ideas of each individual as unique misguided?

Genetic research shows us that there is very little difference between a human and a monkey, or even a mouse and that we are genetically closely linked with our family members.

It also offers the ability to change our characteristics, to create new life for the sole purpose of repairing existing life and to create genetically identical beings.

Developments in genetics offer tremendous opportunities for good, but they also have the ability to be used for very dangerous, even evil purposes.

In this book, Pete Moore addresses the issues that will shape the future of the human race.