,copyright 7,c7 #bjjb by ,lidija ,rangelovska4 ,issues in ,population and ,bioethics #ast ,,edition ,sam ,vaknin1 ,ph4,d4 ,editing and ,design3 ,lidija ,rangelovska ,lidija ,rangelovska ,a ,narcissus ,publications ,imprint1 ,skopje #bjjc ,not for ,sale6 ,non-commercial edition4 #bjjb ,copyright ,lidija ,rangelovska4 ,all rights reserved4 ,this book1 or any part thereof1 may not be used or reproduced in any manner without written permission from3 ,lidija ,rangelovska - write to3 palmaunet4com4mk or to vakninlink4com4mk ,visit the ,author ,archive of ,dr4 ,sam ,vaknin in ,central ,europe ,review3 http3_/_/www4ce-review4org_/authorarchiv es_/vakninarchive_/vakninmain4htm l ,visit ,sam ,vaknin's ,united ,press ,international 7,,upi7 ,article ,archive -,click ,,here6 ,philosophical ,musings and ,essays http3_/_/samvak4tripod4com_/culture4html ,malignant ,self ,love - ,narcissism ,revisited http3_/_/samvak4tripod4com_/ ,,isbn3 #iihi-ibi-ci-d ,created by3 ,,lidija ,,rangelovska ,,republic ,,of ,,macedonia ,c ,o ,n ,t ,e ,n ,t ,s ,i4 ,and ,then ,there ,were ,too ,many ,,ii4 ,eugenics and the ,future of the ,human ,species ,,iii4 ,the ,myth of the ,right to ,life ,,iv4 ,the ,aborted ,contract ,v4 ,in ,our ,own ,image - ,the ,debate about ,cloning ,,vi4 ,ethical ,relativism and ,absolute ,taboos ,,vii4 ,the ,author ,,viii4 ,about ,after the ,rain ,and ,then ,there ,were ,too ,many ,by3 ,sam ,vaknin ,the latest census in ,ukraine revealed an apocalyptic drop of #aj in its population - from #eb4e million a decade ago to a mere #dg4e million last year4 ,demographers predict a precipitous decline of one third in ,russia's impoverished1 inebriated1 disillusioned1 and ageing citizenry4 ,births in many countries in the rich1 industrialized1 ,west are below the replacement rate4 ,these bastions of conspicuous affluence are shriveling4 ,scholars and decision-makers - once terrified by the ,malthusian dystopia of a population bomb - are more sanguine now4 ,advances in agricultural technology eradicated hunger even in teeming places like ,india and ,china4 ,and then there is the old idea of progress3 birth rates tend to decline with higher education levels and growing incomes4 ,family planning has had resounding successes in places as diverse as ,thailand1 ,china1 and western ,africa4 ,in the near past1 fecundity used to compensate for infant mortality4 ,as the latter declined - so did the former4 ,children are means of production in many destitute countries4 ,hence the inordinately large families of the past - a form of insurance against the economic outcomes of the inevitable demise of some of one's off-spring4 ,yet1 despite these trends1 the world's populace is augmented by #hj million people annually4 ,all of them are born to the younger inhabitants of the more penurious corners of the ,earth4 ,there were only #a billion people alive in #ahjd4 ,the number doubled a century later4 ,but our last billion - the sixth - required only #ab fertile years4 ,the entire population of ,germany is added every half a decade to both ,india and ,china4 ,clearly1 ,mankind's growth is out of control1 as affirmed in the #aiid ,cairo ,international ,conference on ,population and ,development4 ,dozens of millions of people regularly starve - many of them to death4 ,in only one corner of the ,earth - southern ,africa - food aid is the sole subsistence of entire countries4 ,more than #ah million people in ,zambia1 ,malawi1 and ,angola survived on charitable donations in #aiib4 ,more than #aj million expect the same this year1 among them the emaciated denizens of erstwhile food exporter1 ,zimbabwe4 ,according to ,medecins ,sans ,frontiere1 ,,aids kills #c million people a year1 ,tuberculosis another #b million4 ,malaria decimates #b people every minute4 ,more than #ad million people fall prey to parasitic and infectious diseases every year - #ij of them in the developing countries4 ,millions emigrate every year in search of a better life4 ,these massive shifts are facilitated by modern modes of transportation4 ,but1 despite these tectonic relocations - and despite famine1 disease1 and war1 the classic ,malthusian regulatory mechanisms - the depletion of natural resources - from arable land to water - is undeniable and gargantuan4 ,our pressing environmental issues - global warming1 water stress1 salinization1 desertification1 deforestation1 pollution1 loss of biological diversity - and our ominous social ills - crime at the forefront - are traceable to one1 politically incorrect1 truth3 ,there are too many of us4 ,we are way too numerous4 ,the population load is unsustainable4 ,we1 the survivors1 would be better off if others were to perish4 ,should population growth continue unabated - we are all doomed4 ,doomed to what8 ,numerous ,cassandras and countless ,jeremiads have been falsified by history4 ,with proper governance1 scientific research1 education1 affordable medicines1 effective family planning1 and economic growth - this planet can support even #aj-ab billion people4 ,we are not at risk of physical extinction and never have been4 ,what is hazarded is not our life - but our quality of life4 ,as any insurance actuary will attest1 we are governed by statistical datasets4 ,consider this single fact3 ,about #a of the population suffer from the perniciously debilitating and all-pervasive mental health disorder1 schizophrenia4 ,at the beginning of the #bjth century1 there were #af4e million schizophrenics - nowadays there are #fd million4 ,their impact on friends1 family1 and colleagues is exponential - and incalculable4 ,this is not a merely quantitative leap4 ,it is a qualitative phase transition4 ,or this3 ,large populations lead to the emergence of high density urban centers4 ,it is inefficient to cultivate ever smaller plots of land4 ,surplus manpower moves to centers of industrial production4 ,a second wave of internal migrants caters to their needs1 thus spawning a service sector4 ,network effects generate excess capital and a virtuous cycle of investment1 employment1 and consumption ensues4 ,but over-crowding breeds violence 7as has been demonstrated in experiments with mice74 ,the sheer numbers involved serve to magnify and amplify social anomies1 deviate behaviour1 and antisocial traits4 ,in the city1 there are more criminals1 more perverts1 more victims1 more immigrants1 and more racists per square mile4 ,moreover1 only a planned and orderly urbanization is desirable4 ,the blights that pass for cities in most third world countries are the outgrowth of neither premeditation nor method4 ,these mega-cities are infested with non-disposed of waste and prone to natural catastrophes and epidemics4 ,no one can vouchsafe for a critical mass of humans1 a threshold beyond which the species will implode and vanish4 ,luckily1 the ebb and flow of human numbers is subject to three regulatory demographic mechanisms1 the combined action of which gives hope4 ,the ,malthusian ,mechanism ,limited resources lead to wars1 famine1 and diseases and1 thus1 to a decrease in human numbers4 ,mankind has done well to check famine1 fend off disease1 and staunch war4 ,but to have done so without a commensurate policy of population control was irresponsible4 ,the ,assimilative ,mechanism ,mankind is not divorced from nature4 ,humanity is destined to be impacted by its choices and by the reverberations of its actions4 ,damage caused to the environment haunts - in a complex feedback loop - the perpetrators4 ,examples3 ,immoderate use of antibiotics leads to the eruption of drug-resistant strains of pathogens4 ,a myriad types of cancer are caused by human pollution4 ,man is the victim of its own destructive excesses4 ,the ,cognitive ,mechanism ,humans intentionally limit the propagation of their race through family planning1 abortion1 and contraceptives4 ,genetic engineering will likely intermesh with these to produce enhanced or designed progeny to specifications4 ,we must stop procreating4 ,or1 else1 pray for a reduction in our numbers4 ,this could be achieved benignly1 for instance by colonizing space1 or the ocean depths - both remote and technologically unfeasible possibilities4 ,yet1 the alternative is cataclysmic4 ,unintended wars1 rampant disease1 and lethal famines will ultimately trim our numbers - no matter how noble our intentions and how diligent our efforts to curb them4 ,is this a bad thing8 ,not necessarily4 ,to my mind1 even a ,malthusian resolution is preferable to the alternative of slow decay1 uniform impecuniosity1 and perdition in instalments - an alternative made inexorable by our collective irresponsibility and denial4 ,racing ,down ,eugenics and the ,future of the ,human ,species ,by3 ,dr4 ,sam ,vaknin ,it is clear that modern medicine has created a serious dilemma 444 ,in the past1 there were many children who never survived - they succumbed to various diseases 444 ,but in a sense modern medicine has put natural selection out of commission4 ,something that has helped one individual over a serious illness can in the long run contribute to weakening the resistance of the whole human race to certain diseases4 ,if we pay absolutely no attention to what is called hereditary hygiene1 we could find ourselves facing a degeneration of the human race4 ,mankind's hereditary potential for resisting serious disease will be weakened4 7,jostein ,gaarder in ,sophie's ,world1 a bestselling philosophy textbook for adolescents published in ,oslo1 ,norway1 in #aiia and1 afterwards1 throughout the world1 having been translated to dozens of languages7 ,the ,nazis regarded the murder of the feeble-minded and the mentally insane - intended to purify the race and maintain hereditary hygiene - as a form of euthanasia4 ,german doctors were enthusiastic proponents of an eugenics movements rooted in #aith century social ,darwinism4 ,luke ,gormally writes1 in his essay ,walton1 ,davies1 and ,boyd 7published in ,euthanasia ,examined - ,ethical1 ,clinical1 and ,legal ,perspectives1 ed4 ,john ,keown1 ,cambridge ,university ,press1 #aiie73 ,when the jurist ,karl ,binding and the psychiatrist ,alfred ,hoche published their tract ,the ,permission to ,destroy ,life that is ,not ,worth ,living in #aibj 444 their motive was to rid society of the 'human ballast and enormous economic burden' of care for the mentally ill1 the handicapped1 retarded and deformed children1 and the incurably ill4 ,but the reason they invoked to justify the killing of human beings who fell into these categories was that the lives of such human beings were 'not worth living'1 were 'devoid of value' ,it is this association with the hideous ,nazi regime that gave eugenics - a term coined by a relative of ,charles ,darwin1 ,sir ,francis ,galton1 in #ahhc - its bad name4 ,richard ,lynn1 of the ,university of ,ulster of ,north ,ireland1 thinks that this recoil resulted in ,dysgenics - the genetic deterioration of modern 7human7 population1 as the title of his controversial tome puts it4 ,the crux of the argument for eugenics is that a host of technological1 cultural1 and social developments conspired to give rise to negative selection of the weakest1 least intelligent1 sickest1 the habitually criminal1 the sexually deviant1 the mentally-ill1 and the least adapted4 ,contraception is more widely used by the affluent and the well-educated than by the destitute and dull4 ,birth control as practiced in places like ,china distorted both the sex distribution in the cities - and increased the weight of the rural population 7rural couples in ,china are allowed to have two children rather than the urban one74 ,modern medicine and the welfare state collaborate in sustaining alive individuals - mainly the mentally retarded1 the mentally ill1 the sick1 and the genetically defective - who would otherwise have been culled by natural selection to the betterment of the entire species4 ,eugenics may be based on a literal understanding of ,darwin's metaphor4 ,the #bjjb edition of the ,encyclopedia ,britannica has this to say3 ,darwin's description of the process of natural selection as the survival of the fittest in the struggle for life is a metaphor4 ,struggle does not necessarily mean contention1 strife1 or combat2 survival does not mean that ravages of death are needed to make the selection effective2 and fittest is virtually never a single optimal genotype but rather an array of genotypes that collectively enhance population survival rather than extinction4 ,all these considerations are most apposite to consideration of natural selection in humans4 ,decreasing infant and childhood mortality rates do not necessarily mean that natural selection in the human species no longer operates4 ,theoretically1 natural selection could be very effective if all the children born reached maturity4 ,two conditions are needed to make this theoretical possibility realized3 first1 variation in the number of children per family and1 second1 variation correlated with the genetic properties of the parents4 ,neither of these conditions is farfetched4 ,the eugenics debate is only the visible extremity of the ,man vs4 ,nature conundrum4 ,have we truly conquered nature and extracted ourselves from its determinism8 ,have we graduated from natural to cultural evolution1 from natural to artificial selection1 and from genes to memes8 ,does the evolutionary process culminate in a being that transcends its genetic baggage1 that programs and charts its future1 and that allows its weakest and sickest to survive8 ,supplanting the imperative of the survival of the fittest with a culturally-sensitive principle may be the hallmark of a successful evolution1 rather than the beginning of an inexorable decline4 ,the eugenics movement turns this argument on its head4 ,they accept the premise that the contribution of natural selection to the makeup of future human generations is glacial and negligible4 ,but they reject the conclusion that1 having ridden ourselves of its tyranny1 we can now let the weak and sick among us survive and multiply4 ,rather1 they propose to replace natural selection with eugenics4 ,but who1 by which authority1 and according to what guidelines will administer this man-made culling and decide who is to live and who is to die1 who is to breed and who may not8 ,why select by intelligence and not by courtesy or altruism or church-going - or al of them together8 ,it is here that eugenics fails miserably4 ,should the criterion be physical1 like in ancient ,sparta8 ,should it be mental8 ,should ,,iq determine one's fate - or social status or wealth8 ,different answers yield disparate eugenic programs and target dissimilar groups in the population4 ,aren't eugenic criteria liable to be unduly influenced by fashion and cultural bias8 ,can we agree on a universal eugenic agenda in a world as ethnically and culturally diverse as ours8 ,if we do get it wrong - and the chances are overwhelming - will we not damage our gene pool irreparably and1 with it1 the future of our species8 ,and even if many will avoid a slippery slope leading from eugenics to active extermination of inferior groups in the general population - can we guarantee that everyone will8 ,how to prevent eugenics from being appropriated by an intrusive1 authoritarian1 or even murderous state8 ,modern eugenicists distance themselves from the crude methods adopted at the beginning of the last century by #bi countries1 including ,germany1 ,the ,united ,states1 ,canada1 ,switzerland1 ,austria1 ,venezuela1 ,estonia1 ,argentina1 ,norway1 ,denmark1 ,sweden 7until #aigf71 ,brazil1 ,italy1 ,greece1 and ,spain4 ,they talk about free contraceptives for low-,,iq women1 vasectomies or tubal ligations for criminals1 sperm banks with contributions from high achievers1 and incentives for college students to procreate4 ,modern genetic engineering and biotechnology are readily applicable to eugenic projects4 ,cloning can serve to preserve the genes of the fittest4 ,embryo selection and prenatal diagnosis of genetically diseased embryos can reduce the number of the unfit4 ,but even these innocuous variants of eugenics fly in the face of liberalism4 ,inequality1 claim the proponents of hereditary amelioration1 is genetic1 not environmental4 ,all men are created unequal and as much subject to the natural laws of heredity as are cows and bees4 ,inferior people give birth to inferior offspring and1 thus1 propagate their inferiority4 ,even if this were true - which is at best debatable - the question is whether the inferior specimen of our species possess the inalienable right to reproduce8 ,if society is to bear the costs of over-population - social welfare1 medical care1 daycare centers - then society has the right to regulate procreation4 ,but does it have the right to act discriminately in doing so8 ,another dilemma is whether we have the moral right - let alone the necessary knowledge - to interfere with natural as well as social and demographic trends4 ,eugenicists counter that contraception and indiscriminate medicine already do just that4 ,yet1 studies show that the more affluent and educated a population becomes - the less fecund it is4 ,birth rates throughout the world have dropped dramatically already4 ,instead of culling the great unwashed and the unworthy - wouldn't it be a better idea to educate them 7or their off-spring7 and provide them with economic opportunities 7euthenics rather than eugenics78 ,human populations seem to self-regulate4 ,a gentle and persistent nudge in the right direction - of increased affluence and better schooling - might achieve more than a hundred eugenic programs1 voluntary or compulsory4 ,that eugenics presents itself not merely as a biological-social agenda1 but as a panacea1 ought to arouse suspicion4 ,the typical eugenics text reads more like a catechism than a reasoned argument4 ,previous all-encompassing and omnicompetent plans tended to end traumatically - especially when they contrasted a human elite with a dispensable underclass of persons4 ,above all1 eugenics is about human hubris4 ,to presume to know better than the lottery of life is haughty4 ,modern medicine largely obviates the need for eugenics in that it allows even genetically defective people to lead pretty normal lives4 ,of course1 ,man himself - being part of ,nature - may be regarded as nothing more than an agent of natural selection4 ,still1 many of the arguments advanced in favor of eugenics can be turned against it with embarrassing ease4 ,consider sick children4 ,true1 they are a burden to society and a probable menace to the gene pool of the species4 ,but they also inhibit further reproduction in their family by consuming the financial and mental resources of the parents4 ,their genes - however flawed - contribute to genetic diversity4 ,even a badly mutated phenotype sometimes yields precious scientific knowledge and an interesting genotype4 ,the implicit ,weltbild of eugenics is static - but the real world is dynamic4 ,there is no such thing as a correct genetic makeup towards which we must all strive4 ,a combination of genes may be perfectly adaptable to one environment - but woefully inadequate in another4 ,it is therefore prudent to encourage genetic diversity or polymorphism4 ,the more rapidly the world changes1 the greater the value of mutations of all sorts4 ,one never knows whether today's maladaptation will not prove to be tomorrow's winner4 ,ecosystems are invariably comprised of niches and different genes - even mutated ones - may fit different niches4 ,in the #ahth century most peppered moths in ,britain were silvery gray1 indistinguishable from lichen-covered trunks of silver birches - their habitat4 ,darker moths were gobbled up by rapacious birds4 ,their mutated genes proved to be lethal4 ,as soot from sprouting factories blackened these trunks - the very same genes1 hitherto fatal1 became an unmitigated blessing4 ,the blacker specimen survived while their hitherto perfectly adapted fairer brethren perished 7industrial melanism74 ,this mode of natural selection is called directional4 ,moreover1 bad genes are often connected to desirable genes 7pleitropy74 ,sickle cell anemia protects certain ,african tribes against malaria4 ,this is called diversifying or disruptive natural selection4 ,artificial selection can thus fast deteriorate into adverse selection due to ignorance4 ,modern eugenics relies on statistics4 ,it is no longer concerned with causes - but with phenomena and the likely effects of intervention4 ,if the adverse traits of off-spring and parents are strongly correlated - then preventing parents with certain undesirable qualities from multiplying will surely reduce the incidence of said dispositions in the general population4 ,yet1 correlation does not necessarily imply causation4 ,the manipulation of one parameter of the correlation does not inevitably alter it - or the incidence of the outcome4 ,eugenicists often hark back to wisdom garnered by generations of breeders and farmers4 ,but the unequivocal lesson of thousands of years of artificial selection is that cross-breeding 7hybridization7 - even of two lines of inferior genetic stock - yields valuable genotypes4 ,inter-marriage between races1 groups in the population1 ethnic groups1 and clans is thus bound to improve the species' chances of survival more than any eugenic scheme4 ,the ,myth of the ,right to ,life ,by3 ,dr4 ,sam ,vaknin ,i4 ,the ,right to ,life ,generations of malleable ,israeli children are brought up on the story of the misnamed ,jewish settlement ,tel-,hai 7,mount of ,life71 ,israel's ,alamo4 ,there1 among the picturesque valleys of the ,galilee1 a one-armed hero named ,joseph ,trumpeldor is said to have died1 eight decades ago1 from an ,arab stray bullet1 mumbling3 ,it is good to die for our country4 ,judaism is dubbed ,a ,teaching of ,life - but it would seem that the sanctity of life can and does take a back seat to some overriding values4 ,the right to life - at least of human beings - is a rarely questioned fundamental moral principle4 ,in ,western cultures1 it is assumed to be inalienable and indivisible 7i4e41 monolithic74 ,yet1 it is neither4 ,even if we accept the axiomatic - and therefore arbitrary - source of this right1 we are still faced with intractable dilemmas4 ,all said1 the right to life may be nothing more than a cultural construct1 dependent on social mores1 historical contexts1 and exegetic systems4 ,rights - whether moral or legal - impose obligations or duties on third parties towards the right-holder4 ,one has a right ,,against other people and thus can prescribe to them certain obligatory behaviors and proscribe certain acts or omissions4 ,rights and duties are two sides of the same ,janus-like ethical coin4 ,this duality confuses people4 ,they often erroneously identify rights with their attendant duties or obligations1 with the morally decent1 or even with the morally permissible4 ,one's rights inform other people how they ,,must behave towards one - not how they ,,should or ,,ought to act morally4 ,moral behavior is not dependent on the existence of a right4 ,obligations are4 ,to complicate matters further1 many apparently simple and straightforward rights are amalgams of more basic moral or legal principles4 ,to treat such rights as unities is to mistreat them4 ,take the right to life4 ,it is a compendium of no less than eight distinct rights3 the right to be brought to life1 the right to be born1 the right to have one's life maintained1 the right not to be killed1 the right to have one's life saved1 the right to save one's life 7wrongly reduced to the right to self-defense71 the right to terminate one's life1 and the right to have one's life terminated4 ,none of these rights is self-evident1 or unambiguous1 or universal1 or immutable1 or automatically applicable4 ,it is safe to say1 therefore1 that these rights are not primary as hitherto believed - but derivative4 ,the ,right to be ,brought to ,life ,in most moral systems - including all major religions and ,western legal methodologies - it is life that gives rise to rights4 ,the dead have rights only because of the existence of the living4 ,where there is no life - there are no rights4 ,stones have no rights 7though many animists would find this statement abhorrent74 ,hence the vitriolic debate about cloning which involves denuding an unfertilized egg of its nucleus4 ,is there life in an egg or a sperm cell8 ,that something exists1 does not necessarily imply that it harbors life4 ,sand exists and it is inanimate4 ,but what about things that exist and have the potential to develop life8 ,no one disputes the existence of eggs and sperms - or their capacity to grow alive4 ,is the potential to be alive a legitimate source of rights8 ,does the egg have any rights1 or1 at the very least1 the right to be brought to life 7the right to become or to be7 and thus to acquire rights8 ,the much trumpeted right to acquire life pertains to an entity which exists but is not alive - an egg4 ,it is1 therefore1 an unprecedented kind of right4 ,had such a right existed1 it would have implied an obligation or duty to give life to the unborn and the not yet conceived4 ,clearly1 life manifests1 at the earliest1 when an egg and a sperm unite at the moment of fertilization4 ,life is not a potential - it is a process triggered by an event4 ,an unfertilized egg is neither a process - nor an event4 ,it does not even possess the potential to become alive unless and until it is fertilized4 ,the potential to become alive is not the ontological equivalent of actually being alive4 ,a potential life cannot give rise to rights and obligations4 ,the transition from potential to being is not trivial1 nor is it automatic1 or inevitable1 or independent of context4 ,atoms of various elements have the potential to become an egg 7or1 for that matter1 a human being7 - yet no one would claim that they ,,are an egg 7or a human being71 or that they should be treated as such 7i4e41 with the same rights and obligations74 ,the ,right to be ,born ,while the right to be brought to life deals with potentials - the right to be born deals with actualities4 ,when one or two adults voluntarily cause an egg to be fertilized by a sperm cell with the explicit intent and purpose of creating another life - the right to be born crystallizes4 ,the voluntary and premeditated action of said adults amounts to a contract with the embryo - or rather1 with society which stands in for the embryo4 ,henceforth1 the embryo acquires the entire panoply of human rights3 the right to be born1 to be fed1 sheltered1 to be emotionally nurtured1 to get an education1 and so on4 ,but what if the fertilization was either involuntary 7rape7 or unintentional 7accidental pregnancy78 ,is the embryo's successful acquisition of rights dependent upon the nature of the conception8 ,we deny criminals their loot as fruits of the poisoned tree4 ,why not deny an embryo his life if it is the outcome of a crime8 ,the conventional response - that the embryo did not commit the crime or conspire in it - is inadequate4 ,we would deny the poisoned fruits of crime to innocent bystanders as well4 ,would we allow a passerby to freely spend cash thrown out of an escape vehicle following a robbery8 ,even if we agree that the embryo has a right to be kept alive - this right cannot be held against his violated mother4 ,it cannot oblige her to harbor this patently unwanted embryo4 ,if it could survive outside the womb1 this would have solved the moral dilemma4 ,but it is dubious - to say the least - that it has a right to go on using the mother's body1 or resources1 or to burden her in any way in order to sustain its own life4 ,the ,right to ,have ,one's ,life ,maintained ,this leads to a more general quandary4 ,to what extent can one use other people's bodies1 their property1 their time1 their resources and to deprive them of pleasure1 comfort1 material possessions1 income1 or any other thing - in order to maintain one's life8 ,even if it were possible in reality1 it is indefensible to maintain that ,i have a right to sustain1 improve1 or prolong my life at another's expense4 ,i cannot demand - though ,i can morally expect - even a trivial and minimal sacrifice from another in order to prolong my life4 ,i have no right to do so4 ,of course1 the existence of an implicit1 let alone explicit1 contract between myself and another party would change the picture4 ,the right to demand sacrifices commensurate with the provisions of the contract would then crystallize and create corresponding duties and obligations4 ,no embryo has a right to sustain its life1 maintain1 or prolong it at its mother's expense4 ,this is true regardless of how insignificant the sacrifice required of her is4 ,yet1 by knowingly and intentionally conceiving the embryo1 the mother can be said to have signed a contract with it4 ,the contract causes the right of the embryo to demand such sacrifices from his mother to crystallize4 ,it also creates corresponding duties and obligations of the mother towards her embryo4 ,we often find ourselves in a situation where we do not have a given right against other individuals - but we do possess this very same right against society4 ,society owes us what no constituent-individual does4 ,thus1 we all have a right to sustain our lives1 maintain1 prolong1 or even improve them at society's expense - no matter how major and significant the resources required4 ,public hospitals1 state pension schemes1 and police forces may be needed in order to fulfill society's obligations to prolong1 maintain1 and improve our lives - but fulfill them it must4 ,still1 each one of us can sign a contract with society - implicitly or explicitly - and abrogate this right4 ,one can volunteer to join the army4 ,such an act constitutes a contract in which the individual assumes the duty or obligation to give up his or her life4 ,the ,right not to be ,killed ,it is commonly agreed that every person has the right not to be killed unjustly4 ,admittedly1 what is just and what is unjust is determined by an ethical calculus or a social contract - both constantly in flux4 ,still1 even if we assume an ,archimedean immutable point of moral reference - does ,a's right not to be killed mean that third parties are to refrain from enforcing the rights of other people against ,a8 ,what if the only way to right wrongs committed by ,a against others - was to kill ,a8 ,the moral obligation to right wrongs is about restoring the rights of the wronged4 ,if the continued existence of ,a is predicated on the repeated and continuous violation of the rights of others - and these other people object to it - then ,a must be killed if that is the only way to right the wrong and re-assert the rights of ,a's victims4 ,the ,right to have ,one's ,life ,saved ,there is no such right because there is no moral obligation or duty to save a life4 ,that people believe otherwise demonstrates the muddle between the morally commendable1 desirable1 and decent 7ought1 should7 and the morally obligatory1 the result of other people's rights 7must74 ,in some countries1 the obligation to save a life is codified in the law of the land4 ,but legal rights and obligations do not always correspond to moral rights and obligations1 or give rise to them4 ,the ,right to ,save ,one's ,own ,life ,one has a right to save one's life by exercising self-defense or otherwise1 by taking certain actions or by avoiding them4 ,judaism - as well as other religious1 moral1 and legal systems - accept that one has the right to kill a pursuer who knowingly and intentionally is bent on taking one's life4 ,hunting down ,osama bin-,laden in the wilds of ,afghanistan is1 therefore1 morally acceptable 7though not morally mandatory74 ,but does one have the right to kill an innocent person who unknowingly and unintentionally threatens to take one's life8 ,an embryo sometimes threatens the life of the mother4 ,does she have a right to take its life8 ,what about an unwitting carrier of the ,ebola virus - do we have a right to terminate her life8 ,for that matter1 do we have a right to terminate her life even if there is nothing she could have done about it had she known about her condition8 ,the ,right to ,terminate ,one's ,life ,there are many ways to terminate one's life3 self sacrifice1 avoidable martyrdom1 engaging in life risking activities1 refusal to prolong one's life through medical treatment1 euthanasia1 overdosing and self inflicted death that is the result of coercion4 ,like suicide1 in all these - bar the last - a foreknowledge of the risk of death is present coupled with its acceptance4 ,does one have a right to take one's life8 ,the answer is3 it depends4 ,certain cultures and societies encourage suicide4 ,both ,japanese kamikaze and ,jewish martyrs were extolled for their suicidal actions4 ,certain professions are knowingly life-threatening - soldiers1 firemen1 policemen4 ,certain industries - like the manufacture of armaments1 cigarettes1 and alcohol - boost overall mortality rates4 ,in general1 suicide is commended when it serves social ends1 enhances the cohesion of the group1 upholds its values1 multiplies its wealth1 or defends it from external and internal threats4 ,social structures and human collectives - empires1 countries1 firms1 bands1 institutions - often commit suicide4 ,this is considered to be a healthy process4 ,thus1 suicide came to be perceived as a social act4 ,the flip-side of this perception is that life is communal property4 ,society has appropriated the right to foster suicide or to prevent it4 ,it condemns individual suicidal entrepreneurship4 ,suicide1 according to ,thomas ,aquinas1 is unnatural4 ,it harms the community and violates ,god's property rights4 ,in ,judeo-,christian tradition1 ,god is the owner of all souls4 ,the soul is on deposit with us4 ,the very right to use it1 for however short a period1 is a divine gift4 ,suicide1 therefore1 amounts to an abuse of ,god's possession4 ,blackstone1 the venerable codifier of ,british ,law1 concurred4 ,the state1 according to him1 has a right to prevent and to punish suicide and attempted suicide4 ,suicide is self-murder1 he wrote1 and1 therefore1 a grave felony4 ,in certain paternalistic countries1 this still is the case4 ,the ,right to ,have ,one's ,life ,terminated ,the right to have one's life terminated at will 7euthanasia71 is subject to social1 ethical1 and legal strictures4 ,in some countries - such as the ,netherlands - it is legal 7and socially acceptable7 to have one's life terminated with the help of third parties given a sufficient deterioration in the quality of life and given the imminence of death4 ,one has to be of sound mind and will one's death knowingly1 intentionally1 repeatedly1 and forcefully4 ,,ii4 ,issues in the ,calculus of ,rights ,the ,hierarchy of ,rights ,the right to life supersedes - in ,western moral and legal systems - all other rights4 ,it overrules the right to one's body1 to comfort1 to the avoidance of pain1 or to ownership of property4 ,given such lack of equivocation1 the amount of dilemmas and controversies surrounding the right to life is1 therefore1 surprising4 ,when there is a clash between equally potent rights - for instance1 the conflicting rights to life of two people - we can decide among them randomly 7by flipping a coin1 or casting dice74 ,alternatively1 we can add and subtract rights in a somewhat macabre arithmetic4 ,thus1 if the continued life of an embryo or a fetus threatens the mother's life - that is1 assuming1 controversially1 that both of them have an equal right to life - we can decide to kill the fetus4 ,by adding to the mother's right to life her right to her own body we outweigh the fetus' right to life4 ,the ,difference between ,killing and ,letting ,die ,counterintuitively1 there is a moral gulf between killing 7taking a life7 and letting die 7not saving a life74 ,the right not to be killed is undisputed4 ,there is no right to have one's own life saved4 ,where there is a right - and only where there is one - there is an obligation4 ,thus1 while there is an obligation not to kill - there is no obligation to save a life4 ,killing the ,innocent ,the life of a ,victim 7,v7 is sometimes threatened by the continued existence of an innocent person 7,,ip71 a person who cannot be held guilty of ,v's ultimate death even though he caused it4 ,,ip is not guilty of dispatching ,v because he hasn't intended to kill ,v1 nor was he aware that ,v will die due to his actions or continued existence4 ,again1 it boils down to ghastly arithmetic4 ,we definitely should kill ,,ip to prevent ,v's death if ,,ip is going to die anyway - and shortly4 ,the remaining life of ,v1 if saved1 should exceed the remaining life of ,,ip1 if not killed4 ,if these conditions are not met1 the rights of ,,ip and ,v should be weighted and calculated to yield a decision 7,see ,abortion and the ,sanctity of ,human ,life by ,baruch ,a4 ,brody74 ,utilitarianism - a form of crass moral calculus - calls for the maximization of utility 7life1 happiness1 pleasure74 ,the lives1 happiness1 or pleasure of the many outweigh the life1 happiness1 or pleasure of the few4 ,if by killing ,,ip we save the lives of two or more people and there is no other way to save their lives - it is morally permissible4 ,but surely ,v has right to self defense1 regardless of any moral calculus of rights8 ,not so4 ,taking another's life to save one's own is rarely justified1 though such behavior cannot be condemned4 ,here we have the flip side of the confusion we opened with3 understandable and perhaps inevitable behavior 7self defense7 is mistaken for a moral right4 ,if ,i were ,v1 ,i would kill ,,ip unhesitatingly4 ,moreover1 ,i would have the understanding and sympathy of everyone4 ,but this does not mean that ,i had a right to kill ,,ip4 ,which brings us to ,september #aa4 ,collateral ,damage ,what should prevail3 the imperative to spare the lives of innocent civilians - or the need to safeguard the lives of fighter pilots8 ,precision bombing puts such pilots at great risk4 ,avoiding this risk usually results in civilian casualties 7collateral damage74 ,this moral dilemma is often solved by applying - explicitly or implicitly - the principle of over-riding affiliation4 ,we find the two facets of this principle in ,jewish sacred texts3 ,one is close to oneself and ,your city's poor denizens come first 7with regards to charity74 ,some moral obligations are universal - thou shalt not kill4 ,they are related to one's position as a human being4 ,other moral values and obligations arise from one's affiliations4 ,yet1 there is a hierarchy of moral values and obligations4 ,the ones related to one's position as a human being are1 actually1 the weakest4 ,they are overruled by moral values and obligations related to one's affiliations4 ,the imperative thou shalt not kill 7another human being7 is easily over-ruled by the moral obligation to kill for one's country4 ,the imperative thou shalt not steal is superseded by one's moral obligation to spy for one's nation4 ,this leads to another startling conclusion3 ,there is no such thing as a self-consistent moral system4 ,moral values and obligations often contradict each other and almost always conflict with universal moral values and obligations4 ,in the examples above1 killing 7for one's country7 and stealing 7for one's nation7 are moral obligations4 ,yet1 they contradict the universal moral value of the sanctity of life and the universal moral obligation not to kill4 ,far from being a fundamental and immutable principle - the right to life1 it would seem1 is merely a convenient implement in the hands of society4 ,the ,aborted ,contract ,and the ,right to ,life ,by3 ,dr4 ,sam ,vaknin ,the issue of abortion is emotionally loaded and this often makes for poor1 not thoroughly thought out arguments4 ,the questions3 ,is abortion immoral and ,is abortion a murder are often confused4 ,the pregnancy 7and the resulting fetus7 are discussed in terms normally reserved to natural catastrophes 7force majeure74 ,at times1 the embryo is compared to cancer1 a thief1 or an invader3 after all1 they are both growths1 clusters of cells4 ,the difference1 of course1 is that no one contracts cancer willingly 7except1 to some extent1 smokers --but1 then they gamble1 not contract74 ,when a woman engages in voluntary sex1 does not use contraceptives and gets pregnant - one can say that she signed a contract with her fetus4 ,a contract entails the demonstrated existence of a reasonably 7and reasonable7 free will4 ,if the fulfillment of the obligations in a contract between individuals could be life-threatening - it is fair and safe to assume that no rational free will was involved4 ,no reasonable person would sign or enter such a contract with another person 7though most people would sign such contracts with society74 ,judith ,jarvis ,thomson argued convincingly 7,a ,defence of ,abortion7 that pregnancies that are the result of forced sex 7rape being a special case7 or which are life threatening should or could1 morally1 be terminated4 ,using the transactional language3 the contract was not entered to willingly or reasonably and1 therefore1 is null and void4 ,any actions which are intended to terminate it and to annul its consequences should be legally and morally permissible4 ,the same goes for a contract which was entered into against the express will of one of the parties and despite all the reasonable measures that the unwilling party adopted to prevent it4 ,if a mother uses contraceptives in a manner intended to prevent pregnancy1 it is as good as saying3 ,i do not want to sign this contract1 ,i am doing my reasonable best not to sign it1 if it is signed - it is contrary to my express will4 ,there is little legal 7or moral7 doubt that such a contract should be voided4 ,much more serious problems arise when we study the other party to these implicit agreements3 the embryo4 ,to start with1 it lacks consciousness 7in the sense that is needed for signing an enforceable and valid contract74 ,can a contract be valid even if one of the signatories lacks this sine qua non trait8 ,in the absence of consciousness1 there is little point in talking about free will 7or rights which depend on sentience74 ,so1 is the contract not a contract at all8 ,does it not reflect the intentions of the parties8 ,the answer is in the negative4 ,the contract between a mother and her fetus is derived from the larger ,social ,contract4 ,society - through its apparatuses - stands for the embryo the same way that it represents minors1 the mentally retarded1 and the insane4 ,society steps in - and has the recognized right and moral obligation to do so - whenever the powers of the parties to a contract 7implicit or explicit7 are not balanced4 ,it protects small citizens from big monopolies1 the physically weak from the thug1 the tiny opposition from the mighty administration1 the barely surviving radio station from the claws of the devouring state mechanism4 ,it also has the right and obligation to intervene1 intercede and represent the unconscious3 this is why euthanasia is absolutely forbidden without the consent of the dying person4 ,there is not much difference between the embryo and the comatose4 ,a typical contract states the rights of the parties4 ,it assumes the existence of parties which are moral personhoods or morally significant persons - in other words1 persons who are holders of rights and can demand from us to respect these rights4 ,contracts explicitly elaborate some of these rights and leaves others unmentioned because of the presumed existence of the ,social ,contract4 ,the typical contract assumes that there is a social contract which applies to the parties to the contract and which is universally known and1 therefore1 implicitly incorporated in every contract4 ,thus1 an explicit contract can deal with the property rights of a certain person1 while neglecting to mention that person's rights to life1 to free speech1 to the enjoyment the fruits of his lawful property and1 in general to a happy life4 ,there is little debate that the ,mother is a morally significant person and that she is a rights-holder4 ,all born humans are and1 more so1 all adults above a certain age4 ,but what about the unborn fetus8 ,one approach is that the embryo has no rights until certain conditions are met and only upon their fulfillment is he transformed into a morally significant person 7moral agent74 ,opinions differ as to what are the conditions4 ,rationality1 or a morally meaningful and valued life are some of the oft cited criteria4 ,the fallaciousness of this argument is easy to demonstrate3 children are irrational - is this a licence to commit infanticide8 ,a second approach says that a person has the right to life because it desires it4 ,but then what about chronic depressives who wish to die - do we have the right to terminate their miserable lives8 ,the good part of life 7and1 therefore1 the differential and meaningful test7 is in the experience itself - not in the desire to experience4 ,another variant says that a person has the right to life because once his life is terminated - his experiences cease4 ,so1 how should we judge the right to life of someone who constantly endures bad experiences 7and1 as a result1 harbors a death wish78 ,should he better be terminated8 ,having reviewed the above arguments and counter-arguments1 ,don ,marquis goes on 7in ,why ,abortion is ,immoral1 #aihi7 to offer a sharper and more comprehensive criterion3 terminating a life is morally wrong because a person has a future filled with value and meaning1 similar to ours4 ,but the whole debate is unnecessary4 ,there is no conflict between the rights of the mother and those of her fetus because there is never a conflict between parties to an agreement4 ,by signing an agreement1 the mother gave up some of her rights and limited the others4 ,this is normal practice in contracts3 they represent compromises1 the optimization 7and not the maximization7 of the parties' rights and wishes4 ,the rights of the fetus are an inseparable part of the contract which the mother signed voluntarily and reasonably4 ,they are derived from the mother's behaviour4 ,getting willingly pregnant 7or assuming the risk of getting pregnant by not using contraceptives reasonably7 - is the behaviour which validates and ratifies a contract between her and the fetus4 ,many contracts are by behaviour1 rather than by a signed piece of paper4 ,numerous contracts are verbal or behavioural4 ,these contracts1 though implicit1 are as binding as any of their written1 more explicit1 brethren4 ,legally 7and morally7 the situation is crystal clear3 the mother signed some of her rights away in this contract4 ,even if she regrets it - she cannot claim her rights back by annulling the contract unilaterally4 ,no contract can be annulled this way - the consent of both parties is required4 ,many times we realize that we have entered a bad contract1 but there is nothing much that we can do about it4 ,these are the rules of the game4 ,thus the two remaining questions3 7a7 can this specific contract 7pregnancy7 be annulled and1 if so 7b7 in which circumstances - can be easily settled using modern contract law4 ,yes1 a contract can be annulled and voided if signed under duress1 involuntarily1 by incompetent persons 7e4g41 the insane71 or if one of the parties made a reasonable and full scale attempt to prevent its signature1 thus expressing its clear will not to sign the contract4 ,it is also terminated or voided if it would be unreasonable to expect one of the parties to see it through4 ,rape1 contraception failure1 life threatening situations are all such cases4 ,this could be argued against by saying that1 in the case of economic hardship1 f or instance1 the damage to the mother's future is certain4 ,true1 her value- filled1 meaningful future is granted - but so is the detrimental effect that the fetus will have on it1 once born4 ,this certainty cannot be balanced by the ,,uncertain value-filled future life of the embryo4 ,always1 preferring an uncertain good to a certain evil is morally wrong4 ,but surely this is a quantitative matter - not a qualitative one4 ,certain1 limited aspects of the rest of the mother's life will be adversely effected 7and can be ameliorated by society's helping hand and intervention7 if she does have the baby4 ,the decision not to have it is both qualitatively and qualitatively different4 ,it is to deprive the unborn of all the aspects of all his future life - in which he might well have experienced happiness1 values1 and meaning4 ,the questions whether the fetus is a ,being or a growth of cells1 conscious in any manner1 or utterly unconscious1 able to value his life and to want them - are all but irrelevant4 ,he has the potential to lead a happy1 meaningful1 value-filled life1 similar to ours1 very much as a one minute old baby does4 ,the contract between him and his mother is a service provision contract4 ,she provides him with goods and services that he requires in order to materialize his potential4 ,it sounds very much like many other human contracts4 ,and this contract continue well after pregnancy has ended and birth given4 ,consider education3 children do not appreciate its importance or value its potential - still1 it is enforced upon them because we1 who are capable of those feats1 want them to have the tools that they will need in order to develop their potential4 ,in this and many other respects1 the human pregnancy continues well into the fourth year of life 7physiologically it continues in to the second year of life - see ,born ,alien74 ,should the location of the pregnancy 7in uterus1 in vivo7 determine its future8 ,if a mother has the right to abort at will1 why should the mother be denied her right to terminate the pregnancy ,,after the fetus emerges and the pregnancy continues ,,outside her womb8 ,even after birth1 the woman's body is the main source of food to the baby and1 in any case1 she has to endure physical hardship to raise the child4 ,why not extend the woman's ownership of her body and right to it further in time and space to the post-natal period8 ,contracts to provide goods and services 7always at a personal cost to the provider7 are the commonest of contracts4 ,we open a business4 ,we sell a software application1 we publish a book - we engage in helping others to materialize their potential4 ,we should always do so willingly and reasonably - otherwise the contracts that we sign will be null and void4 ,but to deny anyone his capacity to materialize his potential and the goods and services that he needs to do so - after a valid contract was entered into - is immoral4 ,to refuse to provide a service or to condition it provision 7,mother3 ,i will provide the goods and services that ,i agreed to provide to this fetus under this contract only if and when ,i benefit from such provision7 is a violation of the contract and should be penalized4 ,admittedly1 at times we have a right to choose to do the immoral 7because it has not been codified as illegal7 - but that does not turn it into moral4 ,still1 not every immoral act involving the termination of life can be classified as murder4 ,phenomenology is deceiving3 the acts look the same 7cessation of life functions1 the prevention of a future74 ,but murder is the intentional termination of the life of a human who possesses1 at the moment of death1 a consciousness 7and1 in most cases1 a free will1 especially the will not to die74 ,abortion is the intentional termination of a life which has the potential to develop into a person with consciousness and free will4 ,philosophically1 no identity can be established between potential and actuality4 ,the destruction of paints and cloth is not tantamount 7not to say identical7 to the destruction of a painting by ,van ,gogh1 made up of these very elements4 ,paints and cloth are converted to a painting through the intermediacy and agency of the ,painter4 ,a cluster of cells a human makes only through the agency of ,nature4 ,surely1 the destruction of the painting materials constitutes an offence against the ,painter4 ,in the same way1 the destruction of the fetus constitutes an offence against ,nature4 ,but there is no denying that in both cases1 no finished product was eliminated4 ,naturally1 this becomes less and less so 7the severity of the terminating act increases7 as the process of creation advances4 ,classifying an abortion as murder poses numerous and insurmountable philosophical problems4 ,no one disputes the now common view that the main crime committed in aborting a pregnancy - is a crime against potentialities4 ,if so1 what is the philosophical difference between aborting a fetus and destroying a sperm and an egg8 ,these two contain all the information 7all the potential7 and their destruction is philosophically no less grave than the destruction of a fetus4 ,the destruction of an egg and a sperm is even more serious philosophically3 the creation of a fetus limits the set of all potentials embedded in the genetic material to the one fetus created4 ,the egg and sperm can be compared to the famous wave function 7state vector7 in quantum mechanics - the represent millions of potential final states 7millions of potential embryos and lives74 ,the fetus is the collapse of the wave function3 it represents a much more limited set of potentials4 ,if killing an embryo is murder because of the elimination of potentials - how should we consider the intentional elimination of many more potentials through masturbation and contraception8 ,the argument that it is difficult to say which sperm cell will impregnate the egg is not serious4 ,biologically1 it does not matter - they all carry the same genetic content4 ,moreover1 would this counter-argument still hold if1 in future1 we were be able to identify the chosen one and eliminate only it8 ,in many religions 7,catholicism7 contraception is murder4 ,in ,judaism1 masturbation is the corruption of the seed and such a serious offence that it is punishable by the strongest religious penalty3 eternal ex-communication 7,karet74 ,if abortion is indeed murder how should we resolve the following moral dilemmas and questions 7some of them patently absurd73 ,is a natural abortion the equivalent of manslaughter 7through negligence78 ,do habits like smoking1 drug addiction1 vegetarianism - infringe upon the right to life of the embryo8 ,do they constitute a violation of the contract8 ,reductio ad absurdum3 if1 in the far future1 research will unequivocally prove that listening to a certain kind of music or entertaining certain thoughts seriously hampers the embryonic development - should we apply censorship to the ,mother8 ,should force majeure clauses be introduced to the ,mother-,embryo pregnancy contract8 ,will they give the mother the right to cancel the contract8 ,will the embryo have a right to terminate the contract8 ,should the asymmetry persist3 the ,mother will have no right to terminate - but the embryo will1 or vice versa8 ,being a rights holder1 can the embryo 7the ,state7 litigate against his ,mother or ,third ,parties 7the doctor that aborted him1 someone who hit his mother and brought about a natural abortion7 even after he died8 ,should anyone who knows about an abortion be considered an accomplice to murder8 ,if abortion is murder - why punish it so mildly8 ,why is there a debate regarding this question8 ,thou shalt not kill is a natural law1 it appears in virtually every legal system4 ,it is easily and immediately identifiable4 ,the fact that abortion does not enjoy the same legal and moral treatment says a lot4 ,in ,our ,own ,image ,the ,debate about ,cloning ,by3 ,dr4 ,sam ,vaknin ,there are two types of cloning4 ,one involves harvesting stem cells from embryos 7therapeutic cloning74 ,these are the biological equivalent of a template4 ,they can develop into any kind of mature functional cell and thus help cure many degenerative and auto-immune diseases4 ,the other kind of cloning is much derided in popular culture - and elsewhere - as the harbinger of a ,brave1 ,new ,world4 ,a nucleus from any cell of a donor is embedded in an egg whose own nucleus has been removed4 ,the egg is then implanted in a woman's womb and a cloned baby is born nine months later4 ,biologically1 the cloned infant is a replica of the donor4 ,cloning is often confused with other advances in bio-medicine and bio-engineering - such as genetic selection4 ,it cannot - in itself - be used to produce perfect humans or select sex or other traits4 ,hence1 some of the arguments against cloning are either specious or fuelled by ignorance4 ,it is true1 though1 that cloning1 used in conjunction with other bio-technologies1 raises serious bio-ethical questions4 ,scare scenarios of humans cultivated in sinister labs as sources of spare body parts1 designer babies1 master races1 or genetic sex slaves - formerly the preserve of ,b sci-fi movies - have invaded mainstream discourse4 ,still1 cloning touches upon ,mankind's most basic fears and hopes4 ,it invokes the most intractable ethical and moral dilemmas4 ,as an inevitable result1 the debate is often more passionate than informed4 ,right to ,life ,arguments ,according to cloning's detractors1 the nucleus removed from the egg could otherwise have developed into a human being4 ,thus1 removing the nucleus amounts to murder4 ,it is a fundamental principle of most moral theories that all human beings have a right to life4 ,the existence of a right implies obligations or duties of third parties towards the right-holder4 ,one has a right ,,against other people4 ,the fact that one possesses a certain right - prescribes to others certain obligatory behaviours and proscribes certain acts or omissions4 ,this ,janus-like nature of rights and duties as two sides of the same ethical coin - creates great confusion4 ,people often and easily confuse rights and their attendant duties or obligations with the morally decent1 or even with the morally permissible4 ,what one ,,must do as a result of another's right - should never be confused with one ,,should or ,,ought to do morally 7in the absence of a right74 ,but is the egg - alive8 ,this question is ,,not equivalent to the ancient quandary of when does life begin4 ,life crystallizes1 at the earliest1 when an egg and a sperm unite 7i4e41 at the moment of fertilization74 ,life is not a potential - it is a process triggered by an event4 ,an unfertilized egg is neither a process - nor an event4 ,it does not even possess the potential to become alive unless and until it merges with a sperm4 ,should such merger not occur - it will never develop life4 ,the potential to become ,x is not the ontological equivalent of actually being ,x1 nor does it spawn moral and ethical rights and obligations pertaining to ,x4 ,the transition from potential to being is not trivial1 nor is it automatic1 or inevitable1 or independent of context4 ,atoms of various elements have the potential to become an egg 7or1 for that matter1 a human being7 - yet no one would claim that they ,,are an egg 7or a human being71 or that they should be treated as one 7i4e41 with the same rights and obligations74 ,moreover1 it is the donor nucleus embedded in the egg that endows it with life - the life of the cloned baby4 ,yet1 the nucleus is usually extracted from a muscle or the skin4 ,should we treat a muscle or a skin cell with the same reverence the critics of cloning wish to accord an unfertilized egg8 ,is this the main concern8 ,the main concern is that cloning - even the therapeutic kind - will produce piles of embryos4 ,many of them - close to #ie with current biotechnology - will die4 ,others can be surreptitiously and illegally implanted in the wombs of surrogate mothers4 ,it is patently immoral1 goes the precautionary argument1 to kill so many embryos4 ,cloning is such a novel technique that its success rate is still unacceptably low4 ,there are alternative ways to harvest stem cells - less costly in terms of human life4 ,if we accept that life begins at the moment of fertilization1 this argument is valid4 ,but it also implies that - once cloning becomes safer and scientists more adept - cloning itself should be permitted4 ,this is anathema to those who fear a slippery slope4 ,they abhor the very notion of unnatural conception4 ,to them1 cloning is a narcissistic act and an ignorant and dangerous interference in nature's sagacious ways4 ,they would ban procreative cloning1 regardless of how safe it is4 ,therapeutic cloning - with its mounds of discarded fetuses - will allow rogue scientists to cross the boundary between permissible 7curative cloning7 and illegal 7baby cloning74 ,why should ,baby ,cloning be ,illegal8 ,cloning's opponents object to procreative cloning because it can be abused to design babies1 skew natural selection1 unbalance nature1 produce masters and slaves and so on4 ,the argument from abuse has been raised with every scientific advance - from in vitro fertilization to space travel4 ,every technology can be potentially abused4 ,television can be either a wonderful educational tool - or an addictive and mind numbing pastime4 ,nuclear fission is a process that yields both nuclear weapons and atomic energy4 ,to claim1 as many do1 that cloning touches upon the heart of our existence1 the kernel of our being1 the very essence of our nature - and thus threatens life itself - would be incorrect4 ,there is no privileged form of technological abuse and no hierarchy of potentially abusive technologies4 ,nuclear fission tackles natural processes as fundamental as life4 ,nuclear weapons threaten life no less than cloning4 ,the potential for abuse is not a sufficient reason to arrest scientific research and progress - though it is a necessary condition4 ,some fear that cloning will further the government's enmeshment in the healthcare system and in scientific research4 ,power corrupts and it is not inconceivable that governments will ultimately abuse and misuse cloning and other biotechnologies4 ,nazi ,germany had a state-sponsored and state-mandated eugenics program in the #aicj's4 ,yet1 this is another variant of the argument from abuse4 ,that a technology can be abused by governments does not imply that it should be avoided or remain undeveloped4 ,this is because all technologies - without a single exception - can and are abused routinely - by governments and others4 ,this is human nature4 ,fukuyama raised the possibility of a multi-tiered humanity in which natural and genetically modified people enjoy different rights and privileges4 ,but why is this inevitable8 ,surely this can easily by tackled by proper1 prophylactic1 legislation8 ,all humans1 regardless of their pre-natal history1 should be treated equally4 ,are children currently conceived in vitro treated any differently to children conceived in utero8 ,they are not4 ,there is no reason that cloned or genetically-modified children should belong to distinct legal classes4 ,unbalancing ,nature ,it is very anthropocentric to argue that the proliferation of genetically enhanced or genetically selected children will somehow unbalance nature and destabilize the precarious equilibrium it maintains4 ,after all1 humans have been modifying1 enhancing1 and eliminating hundreds of thousands of species for well over #aj1jjj years now4 ,genetic modification and bio-engineering are as natural as agriculture4 ,human beings are a part of nature and its manifestation4 ,by definition1 everything they do is natural4 ,why would the genetic alteration or enhancement of one more species - homo sapiens - be of any consequence8 ,in what way are humans more important to nature1 or more crucial to its proper functioning8 ,in our short history on this planet1 we have genetically modified and enhanced wheat and rice1 dogs and cows1 tulips and orchids1 oranges and potatoes4 ,why would interfering with the genetic legacy of the human species be any different8 ,effects on ,society ,cloning - like the ,internet1 the television1 the car1 electricity1 the telegraph1 and the wheel before it - is bound to have great social consequences4 ,it may foster embryo industries4 ,it may lead to the exploitation of women - either willingly 7egg prostitution7 or unwillingly 7womb slavery74 ,charles ,krauthammer1 a columnist and psychiatrist1 quoted in ,the ,economist1 says3 7,cloning7 means the routinisation1 the commercialisation1 the commodification of the human embryo4 ,exploiting anyone unwillingly is a crime1 whether it involves cloning or white slavery4 ,but why would egg donations and surrogate motherhood be considered problems8 ,if we accept that life begins at the moment of fertilization and that a woman owns her body and everything within it - why should she not be allowed to sell her eggs or to host another's baby and how would these voluntary acts be morally repugnant8 ,in any case1 human eggs are already being bought and sold and the supply far exceeds the demand4 ,moreover1 full-fledged humans are routinely routinised1 commercialized1 and commodified by governments1 corporations1 religions1 and other social institutions4 ,consider war1 for instance - or commercial advertising4 ,how is the routinisation1 commercialization1 and commodification of embryos more reprehensible that the routinisation1 commercialization1 and commodification of fully formed human beings8 ,curing and ,saving ,life ,cell therapy based on stem cells often leads to tissue rejection and necessitates costly and potentially dangerous immunosuppressive therapy4 ,but when the stem cells are harvested from the patient himself and cloned1 these problems are averted4 ,therapeutic cloning has vast untapped - though at this stage still remote - potential to improve the lives of hundreds of millions4 ,as far as designer babies go1 pre-natal cloning and genetic engineering can be used to prevent disease or cure it1 to suppress unwanted traits1 and to enhance desired ones4 ,it is the moral right of a parent to make sure that his progeny suffers less1 enjoys life more1 and attains the maximal level of welfare throughout his or her life4 ,that such technologies can be abused by over-zealous1 or mentally unhealthy parents in collaboration with avaricious or unscrupulous doctors - should not prevent the vast majority of stable1 caring1 and sane parents from gaining access to them4 ,ethical ,relativism and ,absolute ,taboos ,by3 ,dr4 ,sam ,vaknin ,i4 ,taboos ,,ii4 ,incest ,,iii4 ,suicide ,,iv4 ,race ,v4 ,moral ,relativism ,i4 ,taboos ,taboos regulate our sexual conduct1 race relations1 political institutions1 and economic mechanisms - virtually every realm of our life4 ,according to the #bjjb edition of the ,encyclopedia ,britannica1 they are the prohibition of an action or the use of an object based on ritualistic distinctions of them either as being sacred and consecrated or as being dangerous1 unclean1 and accursed4 ,jews are instructed to ritually cleanse themselves after having been in contact with a ,torah scroll - or a corpse4 ,this association of the sacred with the accursed and the holy with the depraved is the key to the guilt and sense of danger which accompany the violation of a taboo4 ,in ,polynesia1 where the term originated1 taboos could include prohibitions on fishing or picking fruit at certain seasons2 food taboos that restrict the diet of pregnant women2 prohibitions on talking to or touching chiefs or members of other high social classes2 taboos on walking or traveling in certain areas1 such as forests2 and various taboos that function during important life events such as birth1 marriage1 and death4 ,political correctness is a particularly pernicious kind of taboo enforcement4 ,it entails an all-pervasive self-censorship coupled with social sanctions4 ,consider the treatment of the right to life1 incest1 suicide1 and race4 ,,ii4 ,incest ,in contemporary thought1 incest is invariably associated with child abuse and its horrific1 long-lasting1 and often irreversible consequences4 ,but incest is far from being the clear-cut or monolithic issue that millennia of taboo imply4 ,incest with minors is a private - and particularly egregious - case of pedophilia or statutory rape4 ,it should be dealt with forcefully4 ,but incest covers much more besides these criminal acts4 ,incest is the ethical and legal prohibition to have sex with a related person or to marry him or her - even if the people involved are consenting and fully informed adults4 ,contrary to popular mythology1 banning incest has little to do with the fear of genetic diseases4 ,even genetically unrelated parties 7a stepfather and a stepdaughter7 can commit incest4 ,incest is also forbidden between fictive kin or classificatory kin 7that belong to the same matriline or patriline74 ,in certain societies 7certain ,native ,american tribes1 or the ,chinese7 it is sufficient to carry the same family name 7i4e41 to belong to the same clan7 to render a relationship incestuous4 ,clearly1 eugenic considerations have little to do with incest4 ,moreover1 the use of contraceptives means that incest does not need to result in pregnancy and the transmission of genetic material4 ,inbreeding 7endogamous7 or straightforward incest is the norm in many life forms1 even among primates 7e4g41 chimpanzees74 ,it was also quite common until recently in certain human societies - the ,hindus1 for instance1 or many ,native ,american tribes1 and royal families everywhere4 ,nor is the taboo universal4 ,in some societies1 incest is mandatory or prohibited1 according to one's social class 7,bali74 ,in others1 the ,royal ,house started a tradition of incestuous marriages1 later emulated by the lower classes 7,ancient ,egypt74 ,the list is long and it serves to demonstrate the diversity of attitudes towards this most universal practice4 ,the more primitive and aggressive the society1 the more strict and elaborate the set of incest prohibitions and the fiercer the penalties for their violation4 ,the reason may be economic4 ,incest interferes with rigid algorithms of inheritance in conditions of extreme scarcity 7for instance1 of land and water7 and consequently leads to survival-threatening internecine disputes4 ,freud said that incest provokes horror because it touches upon our forbidden1 ambivalent sexual cravings and aggression towards members of our close family4 ,westermark held that familiarity breeds repulsion and that the incest taboo - rather than counter inbred instincts - simply reflects emotional reality4 ,both ignored the fact that the incest taboo is learned - not inherent4 ,we can easily imagine a society where incest is extolled1 taught1 and practiced - and out-breeding is regarded with horror and revulsion4 ,the incestuous marriages among members of the royal households of ,europe were intended to preserve the familial property and expand the clan's territory4 ,they were normative1 not aberrant4 ,marrying an outsider was considered abhorrent4 ,,iii4 ,suicide ,self-sacrifice1 avoidable martyrdom1 engaging in life risking activities1 refusal to prolong one's life through medical treatment1 euthanasia1 overdosing1 and self-destruction that is the result of coercion - are all closely related to suicide4 ,they all involve a deliberately self-inflicted death4 ,but while suicide is chiefly intended to terminate a life - the other acts are aimed at perpetuating1 strengthening1 and defending values or other people4 ,many are appalled by the choice implied in suicide - of death over life4 ,they feel that it demeans life - i4e41 abnegates its meaning4 ,life's meaning - the outcome of active selection by the individual - is either external 7i4e41 ,god's plan7 or internal 7i4e41 the outcome of an arbitrary frame of reference74 ,our life is rendered meaningful only by integrating into an eternal thing1 process1 design1 or being4 ,suicide makes life trivial because the act is not natural - not part of the eternal framework1 the undying process1 the timeless cycle of birth and death4 ,suicide is a break with eternity4 ,sidgwick said that only conscious 7i4e41 intelligent7 beings can appreciate values and meanings4 ,so1 life is significant to conscious1 intelligent1 though finite1 beings - because it is a part of some eternal goal1 plan1 process1 thing1 design1 or being4 ,suicide flies in the face of ,sidgwick's dictum4 ,it is a statement by an intelligent and conscious being about the meaninglessness of life4 ,if suicide is a statement1 than society1 in this case1 is against the freedom of expression4 ,in the case of suicide1 free speech dissonantly clashes with the sanctity of a meaningful life4 ,to rid itself of the anxiety brought on by this conflict1 society cast suicide as a depraved or even criminal act and its perpetrators are much castigated4 ,the suicide violates not only the social contract - but1 many will add1 covenants with ,god or nature4 ,thomas ,aquinas said that - since organisms strive to survive - suicide is an unnatural act4 ,moreover1 it adversely affects the community and violates the property rights of ,god1 the imputed owner of one's spirit4 ,christianity regards the immortal soul as a gift and1 in ,jewish writings1 it is a deposit4 ,suicide amounts to the abuse or misuse of ,god's possessions1 temporarily lodged in a corporeal mansion4 ,this paternalism was propagated1 centuries later1 by ,blackstone1 the codifier of ,british ,law4 ,suicide - being self-murder - is a grave felony1 which the state has a right to prevent and to punish for4 ,in certain countries this still is the case4 ,in ,israel1 for instance1 a soldier is considered to be military property and an attempted suicide is severely punished as a corruption of a army chattel4 ,paternalism1 a malignant mutation of benevolence1 is about objectifying people and treating them as possessions4 ,even fully-informed and consenting adults are not granted full1 unmitigated autonomy1 freedom1 and privacy4 ,this tends to breed victimless crimes4 ,the culprits - gamblers1 homosexuals1 communists1 suicides1 drug addicts1 alcoholics1 prostitutes - are protected from themselves by an intrusive nanny state4 ,the possession of a right creates a corresponding obligation not to act to frustrate its exercise4 ,suicide is often the choice of a mentally and legally competent adult4 ,life is such a basic and deep set phenomenon that even the incompetents - the mentally retarded or mentally insane or minors - can fully gauge its significance and make informed decisions1 in my view4 ,the paternalists claim counterfactually that no competent adult in his right mind will ever decide to commit suicide4 ,they cite the cases of suicides who survived and felt very happy that they have - as a compelling reason to intervene4 ,but we all make irreversible decisions for which1 sometimes1 we are sorry4 ,it gives no one the right to interfere4 ,paternalism is a slippery slope4 ,should the state be allowed to prevent the birth of a genetically defective child or forbid his parents to marry in the first place8 ,should unhealthy adults be forced to abstain from smoking1 or steer clear from alcohol8 ,should they be coerced to exercise8 ,suicide is subject to a double moral standard4 ,people are permitted - nay1 encouraged - to sacrifice their life only in certain1 socially sanctioned1 ways4 ,to die on the battlefield or in defense of one's religion is commendable4 ,this hypocrisy reveals how power structures - the state1 institutional religion1 political parties1 national movements - aim to monopolize the lives of citizens and adherents to do with as they see fit4 ,suicide threatens this monopoly4 ,hence the taboo4 ,,iv4 ,race ,social ,darwinism1 sociobiology1 and1 nowadays1 evolutionary psychology are all derided and disparaged because they try to prove that nature - more specifically1 our genes - determine our traits1 our accomplishments1 our behavior patterns1 our social status1 and1 in many ways1 our destiny4 ,our upbringing and our environment change little4 ,they simply select from ingrained libraries embedded in our brain4 ,moreover1 the discussion of race and race relations is tainted by a history of recurrent ethnocide and genocide and thwarted by the dogma of egalitarianism4 ,the 7legitimate7 question are all races equal thus becomes a private case of the 7no less legitimate7 are all men equal4 ,to ask can races co-exist peacefully is thus to embark on the slippery slope to slavery and ,auschwitz4 ,these historical echoes and the overweening imposition of political correctness prevent any meaningful - let alone scientific - discourse4 ,the irony is that race - or at least race as determined by skin color - is a distinctly unscientific concept1 concerned more with appearances 7i4e41 the color of one's skin1 the shape of one's head or hair71 common history1 and social politics - than with heredity4 ,most human classificatory traits are not concordant4 ,different taxonomic criteria conjure up different races4 ,,iq is a similarly contentious construct1 although it is stable and does predict academic achievement effectively4 ,thus1 racist-sounding claims are as unfounded as claims about racial equality4 ,still1 while the former are treated as an abomination - the latter are accorded academic respectability and scientific scrutiny4 ,consider these two hypotheses3 ,i4 ,that the ,,iq 7or any other measurable trait7 of a given race or ethnic group is hereditarily determined 7i4e41 that skin color and ,,iq - or another measurable trait - are concordant7 and is strongly correlated with certain types of behavior1 life accomplishments1 and social status4 ,,ii4 ,that the ,,iq 7or any other quantifiable trait7 of a given race or ethnic group is the outcome of social and economic circumstances and even if strongly correlated with behavior patterns1 academic or other achievements1 and social status - which is disputable - is amenable to social engineering4 ,both theories are falsifiable and both deserve serious1 unbiased1 study4 ,that we choose to ignore the first and substantiate the second demonstrates the pernicious and corrupting effect of political correctness4 ,claims of the type trait ,a and trait ,b are concordant should be investigated by scientists1 regardless of how politically incorrect they are4 ,not so claims of the type people with trait ,a are 444 or people with trait ,a do 4444 ,these should be decried as racist tripe4 ,thus the statement ,the traits of being an ,ashkenazi ,jew 7,a7 and suffering from ,tay-,sachs induced idiocy 7,b7 are concordant is true #a of every #bejj times4 ,the statements people who are ,jews 7i4e41 with trait ,a7 are 7narcissists71 or people who are ,jews 7i4e41 with trait ,a7 do this3 they drink the blood of innocent ,christian children during the ,passover rites - are vile racist and paranoid statements4 ,people are not created equal4 ,human diversity - a taboo topic - is a cause for celebration4 ,it is important to study and ascertain what are the respective contributions of nature and nurture to the way people - individuals and groups - grow1 develop1 and mature4 ,in the pursuit of this invaluable and essential knowledge1 taboos are dangerously counter-productive4 ,v4 ,moral ,relativism ,protagoras1 the ,greek ,sophist1 was the first to notice that ethical codes are culture-dependent and vary in different societies1 economies1 and geographies4 ,the pragmatist believe that what is right is merely what society thinks is right at any given moment4 ,good and evil are not immutable4 ,no moral principle - and taboos are moral principles - is universally and eternally true and valid4 ,morality applies within cultures but not across them4 ,but ethical or cultural relativism and the various schools of pragmatism ignore the fact that certain ethical percepts - probably grounded in human nature - do appear to be universal and ancient1 if not eternal4 ,fairness1 veracity1 keeping promises1 moral hierarchy - permeate all the cultures we have come to know4 ,nor can certain moral tenets be explained away as mere expressions of emotions or behavioral prescriptions - devoid of cognitive content1 logic1 and a relatedness to certain facts4 ,still1 it is easy to prove that most taboos are1 indeed1 relative4 ,incest1 suicide1 feticide1 infanticide1 parricide1 ethnocide1 genocide1 genital mutilation1 social castes1 and adultery are normative in certain cultures - and strictly proscribed in others4 ,taboos are pragmatic moral principles4 ,they derive their validity from their efficacy4 ,they are observed because they work1 because they yield solutions and provide results4 ,they disappear or are transformed when no longer useful4 ,incest is likely to be tolerated in a world with limited possibilities for procreation4 ,suicide is bound to be encouraged in a society suffering from extreme scarcity of resources and over-population4 ,ethnocentrism1 racism and xenophobia will inevitably rear their ugly heads again in anomic circumstances4 ,none of these taboos is unassailable4 ,none of them reflects some objective truth1 independent of culture and circumstances4 ,they are convenient conventions1 workable principles1 and regulatory mechanisms - nothing more4 ,that scholars are frantically trying to convince us otherwise - or to exclude such a discussion altogether - is a sign of the growing disintegration of our weakening society4 ,t ,h ,e ,a ,u ,t ,h ,o ,r ,,shmuel 7,,sam7 ,,vaknin ,curriculum ,vitae ,click on blue text to access relevant web sites - thank you4 ,born in #aifa in ,qiryat-,yam1 ,israel4 ,served in the ,israeli ,defence ,force 7#aigi-aihb7 in training and education units4 ,education ,graduated a few semesters in the ,technion - ,israel ,institute of ,technology1 ,haifa4 ,ph4,d4 in ,philosophy 7major 3 ,philosophy of ,physics7 - ,pacific ,western ,university1 ,california4 ,graduate of numerous courses in ,finance ,theory and ,international ,trading4 ,certified ,e-,commerce ,concepts ,analyst4 ,certified in ,psychological ,counselling ,techniques4 ,full proficiency in ,hebrew and in ,english4 ,business ,experience #aihj to #aihc ,founder and co-owner of a chain of computerized information kiosks in ,tel-,aviv1 ,israel4 #aihb to #aihe ,senior positions with the ,nessim ,d4 ,gaon ,group of ,companies in ,geneva1 ,paris and ,new-,york 7,,noga and ,,aprofim ,,sa73 - ,chief ,analyst of ,edible ,commodities in the ,group's ,headquarters in ,switzerland4 - ,manager of the ,research and ,analysis ,division - ,manager of the ,data ,processing ,division - ,project ,manager of ,the ,nigerian ,computerized ,census - ,vice ,president in charge of ,,rnd and ,advanced ,technologies - ,vice ,president in charge of ,sovereign ,debt ,financing #aihe to #aihf ,represented ,canadian ,venture ,capital ,funds in ,israel4 #aihf to #aihg ,general ,manager of ,,ipe ,ltd4 in ,london4 ,the firm financed international multi-lateral countertrade and leasing transactions4 #aihh to #aiij ,co-founder and ,director of ,mikbats - ,tesuah1 a portfolio management firm based in ,tel-,aviv4 ,activities included large-scale portfolio management1 underwriting1 forex trading and general financial advisory services4 #aiij to ,present ,free-lance consultant to many of ,israel's ,blue-,chip firms1 mainly on issues related to the capital markets in ,israel1 ,canada1 the ,,uk and the ,,usa4 ,consultant to foreign ,,rnd ventures and to ,governments on macro-economic matters4 ,president of the ,israel chapter of the ,professors ,world ,peace ,academy 7,,pwpa7 and 7briefly7 ,israel representative of the ,washington ,times4 #aiic to #aiid ,co-owner and ,director of many business enterprises3 - ,the ,omega and ,energy ,air-,conditioning ,concern - ,,avp ,financial ,consultants - ,handiman ,legal ,services ,total annual turnover of the group3 #aj million ,,usd4 ,co-owner1 ,director and ,finance ,manager of ,,costi ,ltd4 - ,israel's largest computerized information vendor and developer4 ,raised funds through a series of private placements locally1 in the ,,usa1 ,canada and ,london4 #aiic to #aiif ,publisher and ,editor of a ,capital ,markets ,newsletter distributed by subscription only to dozens of subscribers countrywide4 ,in a legal precedent in #aiie - studied in business schools and law faculties across ,israel - was tried for his role in an attempted takeover of ,israel's ,agriculture ,bank4 ,was interned in the ,state ,school of ,prison ,wardens4 ,managed the ,central ,school ,library1 wrote1 published and lectured on various occasions4 ,managed the ,internet and ,international ,news ,department of an ,israeli mass media group1 ,ha-,tikshoret and ,namer4 ,assistant in the ,law ,faculty in ,tel-,aviv ,university 7to ,prof4 ,s4,g4 ,shoham74 #aiif to #aiii ,financial consultant to leading businesses in ,macedonia1 ,russia and the ,czech ,republic4 ,collaborated with the ,agency of ,transformation of ,business with ,social ,capital4 ,economic commentator in ,nova ,makedonija1 ,dnevnik1 ,izvestia1 ,argumenti i ,fakti1 ,the ,middle ,east ,times1 ,makedonija ,denes1 ,the ,new ,presence1 ,central ,europe ,review 1 and other periodicals and in the economic programs on various channels of ,macedonian ,television4 ,chief ,lecturer in courses organized by the ,agency of ,transformation1 by the ,macedonian ,stock ,exchange and by the ,ministry of ,trade4 #aiii to #bjjb ,economic ,advisor to the ,government of the ,republic of ,macedonia and to the ,ministry of ,finance4 #bjja to present ,senior ,business ,correspondent for ,united ,press ,international 7,,upi7 ,web and ,journalistic ,activities ,author of extensive ,websites in ,psychology 7,malignant ,self ,love7 - ,an ,open ,directory ,cool ,site ,philosophy 7,philosophical ,musings7 ,economics and ,geopolitics 7,world in ,conflict and ,transition7 ,owner of the ,narcissistic ,abuse ,announcement and ,study ,list and the ,narcissism ,revisited mailing list 7more than #cijj members7 ,owner of the ,economies in ,conflict and ,transition ,study list4 ,editor of mental health disorders and ,central and ,eastern ,europe categories in web directories 7,open ,directory1 ,suite #aja1 ,search ,europe74 ,columnist and commentator in ,the ,new ,presence1 ,united ,press ,international 7,,upi71 ,internet,content1 e,book,web and ,central ,europe ,review4 ,publications and ,awards ,managing ,investment ,portfolios in states of ,uncertainty1 ,limon ,publishers1 ,tel-,aviv1 #aihh ,the ,gambling ,industry1 ,limon ,publishers41 ,tel-,aviv1 #aiij ,requesting my ,loved ,one - ,short ,stories1 ,yedioth ,aharonot1 ,tel-,aviv1 #aiig ,the ,macedonian ,economy at a ,crossroads - ,on the way to a ,healthier ,economy 7with ,nikola ,gruevski71 ,skopje1 #aiih ,malignant ,self ,love - ,narcissism ,revisited1 ,narcissus ,publications1 ,prague and ,skopje1 #aiii1 #bjja1 #bjjb ,the ,narcissism ,series - e-books regarding relationships with abusive narcissists 7,skopje1 #aiii-bjjb7 ,the ,exporters' ,pocketbook1 ,ministry of ,trade1 ,republic of ,macedonia1 ,skopje1 #aiii ,the ,suffering of ,being ,kafka 7electronic book of ,hebrew ,short ,fiction1 ,prague1 #aiih7 ,after the ,rain - ,how the ,west ,lost the ,east1 ,narcissus ,publications in association with ,central ,europe ,review_/,,ceenmi1 ,prague and ,skopje1 #bjjj ,winner of numerous awards1 among them the ,israeli ,education ,ministry ,prize 7,literature7 #aiig1 ,the ,rotary ,club ,award for ,social ,studies 7#aigf7 and the ,bilateral ,relations ,studies ,award of the ,american ,embassy in ,israel 7#aigh74 ,hundreds of professional articles in all fields of finances and the economy and numerous articles dealing with geopolitical and political economic issues published in both print and web periodicals in many countries4 ,many appearances in the electronic media on subjects in philosophy and the ,sciences and concerning economic matters4 ,contact ,details3 palmaunet4com4mk vakninlink4com4mk ,my ,web ,sites3 ,economy _/ ,politics3 http3_/_/ceeandbalkan4tripod4com_/ ,psychology3 http3_/_/samvak4tripod4com_/index4html ,philosophy3 http3_/_/philosophos4tripod4com_/ ,poetry3 http3_/_/samvak4tripod4com_/contents4htm l ,return ,after the ,rain ,how the ,west ,lost the ,east ,the ,book ,this is a series of articles written and published in #aiif-bjjj in ,macedonia1 in ,russia1 in ,egypt and in the ,czech ,republic4 ,how the ,west lost the ,east4 ,the economics1 the politics1 the geopolitics1 the conspiracies1 the corruption1 the old and the new1 the plough and the internet - it is all here1 in colourful and provocative prose4 ,from ,the ,mind of ,darkness3 ',the ,balkans' - ,i say - 'is the unconscious of the world'4 ,people stop to digest this metaphor and then they nod enthusiastically4 ,it is here that the repressed memories of history1 its traumas and fears and images reside4 ,it is here that the psychodynamics of humanity - the tectonic clash between ,rome and ,byzantium1 ,west and ,east1 ,judeo-,christianity and ,islam - is still easily discernible4 ,we are seated at a ,new ,year's dining table1 loaded with a roasted pig and exotic salads4 ,i1 the ,jew1 only half foreign to this cradle of ,slavonics4 ,four ,serbs1 five ,macedonians4 ,it is in the ,balkans that all ethnic distinctions fail and it is here that they prevail anachronistically and atavistically4 ,contradiction and change the only two fixtures of this tormented region4 ,the women of the ,balkan - buried under provocative mask-like make up1 retro hairstyles and too narrow dresses4 ,the men1 clad in sepia colours1 old fashioned suits and turn of the century moustaches4 ,in the background there is the crying game that is ,balkanian music3 liturgy and folk and elegy combined4 ,the smells are heavy with muskular perfumes4 ,it is like time travel4 ,it is like revisiting one's childhood4 ,the ,author ,sam ,vaknin is the author of ,malignant ,self ,love - ,narcissism ,revisited and ,after the ,rain - ,how the ,west ,lost the ,east4 ,he is a columnist for ,central ,europe ,review and e,book,web 1 a ,united ,press ,international 7,,upi7 ,senior ,business ,correspondent1 and the editor of mental health and ,central ,east ,europe categories in ,the ,open ,directory and ,suite#aja4 ,until recently1 he served as the ,economic ,advisor to the ,government of ,macedonia4 ,visit ,sam's ,web site at http3_/_/samvak4tripod4com