New Journal Debuts

The New Atlantis is a well-named new journal dedicated to examining the political questions surrounding technology and the governing of science. The lead essay of the premier issue is on the distinction between "therapy" and "enhancement" by Leon Kass.

This journal should be an excellent counterpoise to the libertarian view which only sees liberation in technology and tyranny in seeking to govern it. When we hear libertarians defending the manipulation of the genetic structure of the next generation at our pleasure, we know that libertarianism forgets that freedom (at least that of the next generation) requires government .

Moreover, when prominent libertarians attack those who raise questions about cloning without actually reading the questioners' writings or confronting their arguments, we are reminded of Rousseau's observation in his First Discourse that the defenders of reason in his own day would have been religious fanatics in previous ages.