Seminar on Genetics and Justice (Tilleggsbev til prosj. 151955 nå 157208)

The aim of this project is to critically examine the implications of functional genomics for the principle of equality of health-related opportunities -- and its implementation in health policy. Important philosophical and political positions argue thata central goal of public policy should be to secure all individuals equal opportunities. All equal opportunity approaches argue that society should eliminate inequalities that arise from some, but not all, factors. However, different versions of this app r oach disagree as to which factors are a legitimate source of inequality and which factors that are not. Our research project takes as a starting point the interpretation of equal opportunity favored by most liberal egalitarians such as Rawls, Roemer and D workin, what we call the level playing field interpretation of equal opportunity. The new genetics has important implications for a theory of equal opportunity. If we are to compensate individuals for differences in natural abili