Ronald M. Green's Babes Summary

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In this enthralling, enlightening book, Ronald M. Green’s Babes by Design: The Ethics of Genetic Design explores the potential promise and threat in the innovation of genetic engineering. Babies by Design offers several elements of the complicated subject: it presents an eloquent description of the sophisticated technology and science, it clearly recaps the reasonable arguments for and against numerous exercises of biotechnology, and it relates the ideas of science fiction to that of the uncertain future. Green graduated Summa Cum Laude at Brown University, before receiving his Ph.D. in religious ethics from Harvard University in 1973. Green has written nine books and more than 170 articles on theoretical and applied ethics. This gives him …show more content…
Green relates this category of genetic engineering, “gene doping”, to steroids and the question: is it ethically fair? Green explains how many people compare gene doping and steroids to be similar, but when examined on a scientific level, they are completely different. Steroids have the ability to utterly destroy the body, the effects vary from bad acne to heart attacks and liver cancer. In contrast, gene doping, if executed correctly, has no known harmful effects. Additionally, Green relates gene doping to be more similar to natural enhancements, like exercising and eating healthy. However, Green clarifies the main reason gene doping is a debatable topic in the sports world, is many people do not believe it is ethically fair. No matter what sport you are discussing, a leveled playing field is always ideal. If certain countries had the resources to genetically enhance their athletes, it would not be fair to inferior countries. In contrast, to explain how genetic engineering could actually level the playing field, Green uses a personal reference that engages the reader by using real-life narratives. Green voices a story of his childhood that describes a depressed boy that had tremendous amounts of trouble making any friends due to his disgraceful athletic abilities. Furthermore, in a world where professional sports make up a huge portion of the entertainment industry, would a genetically superior competition be supported or

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