Is It Ethical for Parents to Choose Their Child's Sex? September 21, 2007

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Complete video at: http://fora.tv/fora/showthread.php?t=1477

Philosopher Michael Sandel and medical researcher William Haseltine debate ethical issues in genetic engineering, in a conversation with the Aspen Institute's Elliot Gerson.

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"The Case Against Perfection: Ethics in the Age of Genetic Engineering" with Michael Sandel and William Haseltine speaking at the 2007 Aspen Ideas Festival. Elliot Gerson moderates the discussion.

Some of the most inspired and provocative thinkers, writers, artists, business people, teachers and other leaders drawn from myriad fields and from across the country and around the world all gathered in a single place - to teach, speak, lead, question, and answer at the 2006 Aspen Ideas Festival. Throughout the week, they all interacted with an audience of thoughtful people who stepped back from their day-to-day routines to delve deeply into a world of ideas, thought, and discussion.

Michael J. Sandel is the Anne T. and Robert M. Bass Professor of Government at Harvard University, where he has taught political philosophy since 1980. He is the author of many books, including "The Case against Perfection: Ethics in the Age of Genetic Engineering" (Harvard University Press, 2007). His writings also appear in general publications such as The Atlantic Monthly, The New Republic, and The New York Times.

William A. Haseltine is chairman of Haseltine Global Health, LLC, a virtual pharmaceutical company dedicated to developing new and more efficient means to develop new life saving drugs and medical devices. He is also president of the Haseltine Foundation for Medical Sciences and the Arts, a foundation that supports access to high quality health for the poor and middle class of developing countries and that also fosters a dialog between sciences and the arts.

Elliot Gerson is executive vice president for Seminars and Public Programs at the Aspen Institute. Gerson is responsible for the Aspen Institutes seminars, including the Executive Seminar, topical and custom seminars, and those offered in Socrates programs. He also manages the Institutes public programs, including the Aspen Ideas Festival and the World Biomedical Forum. As American secretary of the Rhodes Trust, he manages the US Rhodes Scholarships.