November 2, 2001

The Tyranny of the Natural

By DAVID P. BARASH

It is easy -- all too easy -- to conclude that if something is natural, it must be good. I, for one, am unabashedly in favor of natural ecosystems and consider them very good indeed. I am also a conscientious consumer of natural foods, a wearer of natural fibers, and a devotee of natural childbirth. And yet, it needs to be said, loud and clear: Just because something is natural does not mean it is good. Consider the virus that causes AIDS. What could be more natural than a bunch of proteins

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