Abstract
Francis Collins had an impressive track record as a gene hunter (cystic fibrosis, neurofibromatosis, Huntington’s disease) when he was appointed Director of the Human Genome Project (HGP) in 1993. In June 2000, together with Craig Venter and President Bill Clinton, he presented the draft version of the human genome sequence to a worldwide audience during a famous press conference. And in 2009, President Barack Obama nominated him as director of the National Institutes of Health (NIH), the largest Tfunding agency for biomedical research in the world.
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In 2006, Collins published his book The Language of God,3 an autobiographical
account of the HGP and its scientific, historical, and societal significance, with special
attention paid to the impact of the human sequence on the way we see our world and
ourselves.4 Now, by way of a sequel, he has written The Language of Life. Wherea
Language of God focused on the genome sequence of mankind in general, and on the
HGP as a “revolution” in biomedicine, the new book, as indicated by its subtitle, is
oriented towards “the revolution in personalized medicine”, the impact of the
genomics revolution on the personal lives of individuals.
Before subjecting Collins’ book to a closer reading, I first of all would like to explain
how I will read it and from what perspective. Why is genomics in general, and the
HGP and its aftermath in particular, a subject of interest to a philosopher like me?
Why did I become interested in assessing the HGP and in studying the work and views of some of its key contributors?