Human exceptionalism.

Of Patents and Path Dependency : a Comment on Burk and Lemley

This Article delves into issues surrounding the relationship between technology and the patent law. Responding to Dan Burk and Mark Lemley’s earlier article, Is Patent Law Technology-Specific?, the piece notes that the basic question posed by Burk and Lemley’s article is a relatively easy question given the several doctrines that explicitly link the subject matter context of an invention to the...

The history of AIDS exceptionalism

In the history of public health, HIV/AIDS is unique; it has widespread and long-lasting demographic, social, economic and political impacts. The global response has been unprecedented. AIDS exceptionalism--the idea that the disease requires a response above and beyond "normal" health interventions--began as a Western response to the originally terrifying and lethal nature of the virus. More rec...

Exceptional epidemics: AIDS still deserves a global response

There has been a renewed debate over whether AIDS deserves an exceptional response. We argue that as AIDS is having differentiated impacts depending on the scale of the epidemic, and population groups impacted, and so responses must be tailored accordingly. AIDS is exceptional, but not everywhere. Exceptionalism developed as a Western reaction to a once poorly understood epidemic, but remains r...

Against Genetic Exceptionalism: An Argument in Favor of the Viability of Preconception Genetic Torts

Against Creole exceptionalism (redux)*

1. RECONSIDERING CREOLE EXCEPTIONALISM? The primary goal of my Discussion Note ‘Against Creole exceptionalism’ (Language 79.2.391–410, hereafter ACE) was to demystify a variety of past and present beliefs—widespread in and outside academia—according to which Creole languages constitute an exceptional class on phylogenetic and/or typological grounds. Derek Bickerton’s reply (‘Reconsidering Creol...

The Allure and Peril of Genetic Exceptionalism: Do We Need Special Genetics Legislation?