Jeremy Rifkin

Jeremy Rifkin, "The Ultimate Therapy: Commercial Eugenics on the Eve of the Biotech Century"

Jeremy Rifkin (1945- ) was born in Denver, Colorado and raised in Chicago. He earned a B.A. from The Wharton School of the University of Pennsylvania in 1967 and an M.A. from The Fletcher School at Tufts University in 1968. Rifkin is the founder and president of the Foundation on Economic Trends, an organization that studies public policy issues involving the economy, the environment, and biotechnology. His books include Own Your Own Job: Economic Democracy for Working Americans (1977), Declaration of a Heretic (1985), The End of Work: The Decline of the Global Labor Force and the Dawn of the Post-Market Era (1995), and The Biotech Century: Harnessing the Gene and Remaking the World (1998). His work also appears in periodicals such as the Los Angeles Times, The Ecologist, and New Perspectives Quarterly. "The Ultimate Therapy: Commercial Eugenics on the Eve of the Biotech Century" takes a look at the debate about human genetic engineering. It was first published in Tikkun in 1998 and reprinted in The Biotech Century.

CONTENT

1. According to Rifkin, in which economic sector is genetic commerce likely to have its biggest impact?
2. Define the words eugenics, psychotropic, virulent, and somatic.
3. Name two diseases mentioned in connection with "genetic stigma."
4. What are the "diseases of affluence"?
5. What do recessive traits have to do with evolution? What do they have to do with eugenics?
6. According to the author, what scientific breakthroughs marked the 20^th century? How will the 21^st century be different?
7. What are the basic differences between somatic therapy and germ line therapy?

STRATEGY AND STYLE

1. What structural signals does Rifkin provide in paragraphs thirteen through fifteen to present Dr. Zimmerman's argument? How easy are they to spot and follow? How else could he have given transitional clues here?
2. In paragraph thirty-one Rifkin makes a comparison involving a machine. What is the complete comparison and how does it help him make his point about the changing nature of molecular biology?
3. What is the author's argument here? What kinds of support does he use to bolster his argument? Do you find his support persuasive?
4. Take a look at the evidence presented in paragraph eighteen to support the author's point about parental responsibility. What analogy does the author make? Do you find this evidence sufficient? Explain.
5. Rifkin divides his essay into sections and provides titles for them. How can you categorize the sections? What does he gain from this choice? How would the piece be different without them?

1. How closely have you followed the debates about genetic engineering? How might this level of information have affected your reading here?
2. If you could change one genetic trait that's expressed in you, what would it be and why? Do you feel more comfortable dealing with this issue as a hypothetical, or would you actually do it if the means were available? How might these feelings have influenced you during your reading?

SUGGESTIONS FOR SUSTAINED WRITING

1. The author points out that when debating human genetic engineering, the question of just what constitutes a "defect" is problematic. Which problems in human genetics are worthwhile targets? Where do you encounter a grey area? What problems might arise socially? Morally? Regarding evolution itself?
2. Rifkin suggests that large corporations and privileged consumers might decide and determine significant moral and legal matters if the trends in eugenics he describes continue and intensify. Write an essay outlining those trends, what institutions don't get a proper voice within this scenario, and what doyou see as potentially at stake.

FOR FURTHER RESEARCH

In paragraph three Rifkin writes that by 2004 "the global life science companies will hold patents on most of the 100,000 genes that make up the human race." Do some research to find out how many they hold now. Are they on their way to reaching that mark? Why or why not?

WEB CONNECTION

Read this blurb review of Rifkin's book Beyond Beef: The Rise and Fall of the Cattle Culture. What can you tell about the book from this review? If you wanted to read the whole review, what would be an efficient way to find it? Does your library have a copy of this book?

LINKS

Biographical

Ready to start learning more about Rifkin? Visit the homepage of his organization, the Foundation on Economic Trends. Once there, you'll find a brief mission statement, and links to a biography, news, and other information.

Here's a very different biography, compared to the one you found above, from the National Center for Public Policy Research. What are some of the ways it differs? Does this biography seem fair to you? Explain.

Bibliographical

Ok, it's time for some of Rifkin's work in etext. Here are excerpts from his book The End of Work. Do you like or dislike using etext? Explain.

Rifkin gave a speech in 2000 at the Ecology Farming Conference about "genetic pollution." This page has some more information about it, including photos and some multimedia links.

Cultural

Interested in environmental issues such as those Rifkin explores, but not sure how to narrow your topic? This Google.com directory about the environment will help you.

"Appropriate technology" usually refers to that which is sustainable into the future and includes technology involved with energy, agriculture, and community planning. Take a visit to the homepage of the National Center for Appropriate Technology for an overview. What did you discover there? Where could you go online to find differing views?

Maybe you'd like a way to get a general overview of some issues relating to technology? Try this directory from Google.com. Does the amount of entries online surprise you? Why or why not?