Post by daisy on Jan 15, 2007 0:47:22 GMT -5
RFID Implants
HUMAN IMPLANTS
Although many RFID functions offer benefits to consumers, some raise ethical concerns; and none raise more concerns than implanting RFID tags in humans. Supporters claim implants will save lives. “Many deaths occur because people aren’t able to communicate their medical information or because of wrong information,” says Scott Silverman, leader of a company that makes RFID tags. Opponents of human implants argue that the potential for abuse, such as tracking employees’ whereabouts or discovering their private medical conditions, outweighs the medical benefits; after all, patients can already wear medical alert bracelets. “Once the technology is available,” says Katherine Albrecht, a consumer rights activist, “it raises the possibility that people in a position to demand implants will begin to demand them.” A discussion of ethical principles central to the RFID debate overflows with conflicts: national security vs. personal privacy (Can airlines or other essential industries require RFID implants in employees?); sanctity of life vs. human dignity (Can loved ones require RFID implants in Alzheimer patients?).
THE JEWISH VIEW
Our sages cherished privacy; in fact,
Jewish law cautions against even gazing into private property
(Baba Batra 2b). And yet, communal responsibility often trumps personal needs (see Pirkei Avot 2:4).
For example, to avoid eclipsing communal joy,
shivah (the seven-day period of personal mourning) ends during Jewish festivals. Furthermore, because human beings are created in God’s image, Judaism values human dignity. Our tradition explains that dignity takes precedence over any rabbinic law
(a law not in the Torah but deduced by our sages).
And yet, to preserve life,
Jews are permitted to violate all but three prohibitions:
murder, incest, and idolatry
www.babaganewz.com/newsNviews/implant.cfm
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HUMAN IMPLANTS
Although many RFID functions offer benefits to consumers, some raise ethical concerns; and none raise more concerns than implanting RFID tags in humans. Supporters claim implants will save lives. “Many deaths occur because people aren’t able to communicate their medical information or because of wrong information,” says Scott Silverman, leader of a company that makes RFID tags. Opponents of human implants argue that the potential for abuse, such as tracking employees’ whereabouts or discovering their private medical conditions, outweighs the medical benefits; after all, patients can already wear medical alert bracelets. “Once the technology is available,” says Katherine Albrecht, a consumer rights activist, “it raises the possibility that people in a position to demand implants will begin to demand them.” A discussion of ethical principles central to the RFID debate overflows with conflicts: national security vs. personal privacy (Can airlines or other essential industries require RFID implants in employees?); sanctity of life vs. human dignity (Can loved ones require RFID implants in Alzheimer patients?).
THE JEWISH VIEW
Our sages cherished privacy; in fact,
Jewish law cautions against even gazing into private property
(Baba Batra 2b). And yet, communal responsibility often trumps personal needs (see Pirkei Avot 2:4).
For example, to avoid eclipsing communal joy,
shivah (the seven-day period of personal mourning) ends during Jewish festivals. Furthermore, because human beings are created in God’s image, Judaism values human dignity. Our tradition explains that dignity takes precedence over any rabbinic law
(a law not in the Torah but deduced by our sages).
And yet, to preserve life,
Jews are permitted to violate all but three prohibitions:
murder, incest, and idolatry
www.babaganewz.com/newsNviews/implant.cfm
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