The Ethics of Animal Re-creation and Modification : Reviving, Rewilding, Restoring

Would it be cool to see woolly mammoth alive one day? Disappeared species have always fascinated the human mind. A new discussion of using genomic technologies to reverse extinction and to help in conservation has been sparked. This volume studies the question philosophically. The Ethics of Animal Recreation and Modification studies philosophical and ethical issues arising from new technological possibilities to repair the loss of animal diversity. Several research groups are currently working toward re-creating extinct animals such as the woolly mammoth by the methods of modern genomic technology and of selective breeding. These projects challenge the main underlying tenet of conservation ethics: the extinction of a species is irreversible. For this reason alone, the idea of de-extinction, or reversing extinction, is troublesome. The purpose of this volume is to offer systematic philosophical and ethical analysis on animal de-extinction in the context of ecological restoration. The collection consists of an introduction, epilogue and nine new articles written by philosophers. The intended readership consists of academic philosophers, ecologists and others interested in conservation biology Front Matter....Pages i-x Introduction: Towards a Philosophy of Resurrection Science....Pages 1-21 Can We Really Re-create an Extinct Species by Cloning? A Metaphysical Analysis....Pages 22-39 The Restorationist Argument for Extinction Reversal....Pages 40-59 What’s So Special about Reconstructing a Mammoth? Ethics of Breeding and Biotechnology in Re-creating Extinct Species....Pages 60-76 The Authenticity of Animals....Pages 77-96 Bioengineered Domestication: ‘Wild Pets’ as Species Conservation?....Pages 97-116 From Protection to Restoration: A Matter of Responsible Precaution....Pages 117-133 Just Fake It! Public Understanding of Ecological Restoration....Pages 134-149 Biodiversity and the Value of Human Involvement....Pages 150-169 Epilogue....Pages 170-173 Back Matter....Pages 175-180