As the American debate over the morality of emerging biotechnologies has unfolded, serious questions have been raised concerning the future and scope of human biotechnological advance in China. While many Americans regard practices like eugenics and cloning for research as morally indefensible, both practices have received widespread support from China’s government and scientific community, and leading voices claim they are morally permissible from the perspective of Chinese tradition.

The Ethics and Public Policy Center invited Dr. He Huaihong to present his observations and reflections on the current state of Chinese thinking on eugenics, euthanasia, and human cloning. Dr. He is presently a Professor of Philosophy at Peking University, and was recently involved in a major study done in Beijing on bioethics and traditional Chinese views of human life. Formerly a research scholar at Harvard University, Dr. He is conversant with both the Chinese and Western philosophical traditions, and has translated a number of Western works into Chinese, including A Theory of Justice by the liberal theorist John Rawls.

Responses to Dr. He’s presentation were given by Dr. Jeanne Heffernan, visiting fellow in the Center’s Catholic Studies Program, and by Eric Brown, researcher with the Center’s project on Biotechnology and American Democracy. Eric Cohen, director of the project on Biotechnology and American Democracy, moderated the discussion.