17 
Mr. Rifkin noted there are only three ethicists on the working group. He 
felt this number of ethicists did not represent a "good cross section of 
ethical and theological opinion on something as grave and potentially 
important to our society as human genetic engineering . " He suggested the 
working group broaden its representation. He asked whether any religious 
leaders had been contacted or whether there had been an attempt to enlarge 
the working group bo include the opinion of major religious leaders. 
Mr. Mitchell said the working group is composed of fifteen members; three 
of these members are ethicists, two members are public policy experts who 
are also well versed in ethical issues. In addition, Drs. Walters and 
Childress have backgrounds in theology. Car. Walters said the composition 
of the working group is similar to the composition of groups such as the 
National Carmission for the Protection of Human Subjects, the Ethics Advisory 
Board, or the President's Commission for the Study of Ethical Problems in 
Medicine and Biomedical and Behavioral Research. He said the "Points to 
Consider" document would be brought to the attention of a wide spectrum of 
people including major religious leaders. 
Mr. Mitchell said because of the diversity of religious views in this 
country it is appropriate to solicit the opinion of individuals associated 
with various religious traditions, and this will be done. 
VIII. PROPOSED ADDITION OF PROHIBITED EXPERIMENTS TO THE NIH GUIDELINES 
Mr. Mitchell asked Mr. Rifkin to present his proposal (tabs 1182, 1183, 
1184, 1186/IT, 1187, 1194, 1195). 
Mr. Rifkin said while closely related species may be bred by traditional 
practices, nature rather narrowly proscribes what can be accomplished. 
"Species walls, mating boundaries establish seme limits as to the kind of 
recombinations that may occur through natural methods." Mr. Rifkin 
contended the experiments of Dr. Ralph Brinster of the Ihiversity of 
Pennsylvania in which genes from one mammalian species are introduced 
into another species are qualitatively different from preexisting breeding 
programs. 
Mr. Rifkin said to date the biological unit of manipulation has been the 
organism; now the unit of manipulation has become the gene. The init of 
importance ceases to be the species itself, but rather the canposition of 
genetic materials. Mr. Rifkin contended society is beginning a very long, 
protracted journey which will reshape our concept of life so that we wall 
increasingly see the importance of life at the genetic level and not at 
the species level . 
Mr. Rifkin said some researchers argue the human growth hormone gene trans- 
ferred into mice by Dr. Brinster is not unique, that it's only a chemical. 
Mr. Rifkin said this argument is a form of scientific reductionism; if 
this gene is simply a chemical, then certainly every other gene that makes 
up the human species is simply a chemical. If there is nothing unique about 
transferring this gene and if the transfer of this gene poses no ethical. 
[ 149 ] 
