Altering the Blueprint: the Ethics of Genetics is a “course” taught by Alexander McCall Smith as part of the Portable Professor series published by Barnes and Noble. This one was not nearly up to par with some of the others I have encountered. It was really just an extended philosophy/history of reproductive science. Nothing new or groundbreaking. There was very little to the ethics, just a recitation of the opposing camps…
Building on a growing trend of “Philosophy and…” books that run the gamut of pop cultures, Superheroes is a great way to introduce people to philosophy, especially those who might not be otherwise inclined. A series of essays, the work covers both the Marvel and DC universes as well as philosophers from Plato through to Derek Parfit (b. 1942). It would be easy to dismiss this series as nothing more than philosophical fluff dumbed-down for the masses, but I think one would be missing something to do so. As William Irwin states in the Introduction, “Ultimately, this book aims to shed light on the hidden depth of superheroes, while at the same time illustrate the importance of philosophy. Superman and Batman are not replacements for Plato and Aristotle, but they can inspire you to read Plato and Aristotle, who will challenge you to think deeply.” And after all, isn’t that what we ask of any good book?
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