The lives to come, by Philip Kitcher

An early analysis c 1996 of gene knowledge and genetalk. Uses DNA induced abortion to analyse the issues around sanctity of life. Long list of the sad syndromes that indicate for termination. Cares mightily for life, whole life before and lost potential after, as well as for all the lives of the community affected by termination or survival. Has a sharp look at quality of life as yardstick.
Rates the ideal of utopian eugenics as possible given vigilant public examination. (As Friedman did for bottom line morality, citing trickledown charity as essential. Note the disastrous although empowering failure for those with conscience.) Note also the dual eponym failings for utopian eugenics and trickledown charity.
His concluding analysis of the good life seems thin on both the spiritual and the religious. But does give a historical survey of philosophers' opinions. Self-actualisation explained to me, at last!

Re-reading in 2008 has been a valuable experience: the leaps in the last decade indicate the future, whether progress plateau as seems unlikely, stay linear, or go even more exponentially hockey stick.

But the final sections still stun with their analysis of the immorality of our allowing the filibust of the social idealist and the pragmatist to block easing the childhoods of the indigent. The subsequent US reactions to Katrina and to al-Quaida and to global issues show clearly how the 'pragmatists' would not cope.