Question

The Challenge to Equality and answer the questions that follow. As genetic technology and other technologies relevant to human biology are developed, society will face a host of complex ethical, legal, and social issues. One of the most complex sets of issues involves our choices over who will have access to these technologies. . . . If, indeed, diseases can be cured or prevented, and if embryos can be selected or enhanced, but the technologies are not available for all to have [due to affordability], how will our society respond? What does justice require, and what will political realities permit? The issues surrounding how to distribute access to new genetic technologies are the focus of this book. These questions and problems are not new—we struggle now with the fair allocation of vital health care resources in a society marked by great discrepancies in wealth. But genetic technologies will dramatically up the ante as the menu of powerful possibilites expands. With the possible exception of slavery, these technologies represent the most profound challege to cherished notions of social equality ever encountered. Decisions over who will have access to what genetic technologies will likely determine the kind of society and political system that will prevail in the future. Before discussing the social and moral issues raised by these questions, we will first provide some background information on the genetic revolution itself. In the next chapter, we describe the massive effort to decode the human genetic recipe. In Chapter Three, we describe the technologies that this effort is likely to produce and the potential benefits that they will provide. Then we will embark on a discussion of the social and ethical problems that these technologies pose and, finally, discuss potential solutions. (Mehlman 6) Mehlman, Maxwell J. Access to the Genome: The Challenge to Equality. Washington, DC: Georgetown U Press, 1998. Print. Is this a primary or secondary source? Would the information covered in this book be more relevant as a primary source or secondary source?

Answer 1

While primary sources could include documents, objects, persons, or works of art created by a person that has witnessed or participated in an event and tries to explain it, secondary sources are texts commonly written by scholars that analyze, describe, discuss, summarize,interpret, evaluate, and process primary sources, or uses primary sources as evidence to support their points of view.  

Examples of primary sources are autobiographies, diaries, personal letters, interviews, surveys, books, works of art and literature, or speeches. Examples of secondary sources could include bibliographies, history books, works of criticism and interpretation, literary reviews and magazines.  

Regarding to this book, it is clear that someone has already discussed this topic before, and the author of this excerpt is only providing his own analysis on the work of other people. This conclusion can be inferred from the sentences ‘these questions and problems are not new’ and ‘we will first provide some background information on the genetic revolution itself’ Therefore, this particular text could not be relevant as a primary source as it is quoting or using primary sources.