The Dilemma of Genetic Superhumans
According to the words of Potter Stewart, “Ethics is the difference between knowing what you have the right to do and knowing what is right to do,” (Stewart). Such morals have kept the ship of society afloat since the early stages of civilization. Meanwhile, a common cause of concern today is the scientific advancement of gene editing. Though diseases can be cured with such technology, the negative effects greatly outweigh the advantages. Genetic engineering is a milestone in science, however, it is a bear that must not be poked for its harmful repercussions. Genetic editing with humans raises many potent questions concerning ethical issues, physical side effects, and a hindrance to the natural life cycle. …show more content…
Altering the DNA of an embryo results in a loss of individuality for the child. According to Lovell-Badge of Francis Crick Institute of London, “‘It’s the thing that worries people the most, because it is felt to be unfair… It’s the same as using drugs to cheat,’” (Hamzelou). Once genetic editing becomes a social norm, making enhancements to a child will be second-nature. This will also contravene with the newborn’s rights since the child would not have a choice in his/her own life. Such a scenario creates a conundrum as the very identity of the child would be altered with such a procedure. Meanwhile, another rising concern with genetic editing is the rise of designer babies. If genetic editing is unregulated, it will eventually flow into the reservoir of cosmetics. This will then result in parents leaning towards designer babies, picking and choosing traits such as blonde hair or blue eyes. According to Emily Beitiks, a disability researcher from the University of California,“‘These proposed applications raise social justice questions and put us at risk of reviving eugenics—controlled breeding to increase the occurrence of ‘desirable’ heritable characteristics,”’ (Rathi). Hence, editing genes will become a gateway to designer babies. Allowing for the formation of designer babies will result in the compromise of natural birth and biologically genuine offspring. Not only would the use of …show more content…
Since the technology is still fairly new, procedures that require gene editing may result in the death of the embryo. An example is when it says, “The downside is that cells are pretty fragile. Any current techniques used to get TALENs [gene editing tool] into cells would cause high levels of cell death,” (Wirt). Such a risk is simply not worth taking when a life is in jeopardy. There is also the possibility that such a procedure could affect the mother as well. One of the main reasons for the support of genetic disorders is the ability to cure genetic disorders. As mentioned above, there is no guarantee that the procedure has to work. In addition, if a modification is successful, this altered gene will later be passed onto future generations. Also, since these alterations are only prototypes, they can potentially cause mutations in future generations. Due to this potential danger, genetic editing cannot be depended upon short or long term. Allowing for the editing of genes will only damage lives and leave a long-lasting mark on the natural course of
According to the words of Potter Stewart, “Ethics is the difference between knowing what you have the right to do and knowing what is right to do,” (Stewart). Such morals have kept the ship of society afloat since the early stages of civilization. Meanwhile, a common cause of concern today is the scientific advancement of gene editing. Though diseases can be cured with such technology, the negative effects greatly outweigh the advantages. Genetic engineering is a milestone in science, however, it is a bear that must not be poked for its harmful repercussions. Genetic editing with humans raises many potent questions concerning ethical issues, physical side effects, and a hindrance to the natural life cycle. …show more content…
Altering the DNA of an embryo results in a loss of individuality for the child. According to Lovell-Badge of Francis Crick Institute of London, “‘It’s the thing that worries people the most, because it is felt to be unfair… It’s the same as using drugs to cheat,’” (Hamzelou). Once genetic editing becomes a social norm, making enhancements to a child will be second-nature. This will also contravene with the newborn’s rights since the child would not have a choice in his/her own life. Such a scenario creates a conundrum as the very identity of the child would be altered with such a procedure. Meanwhile, another rising concern with genetic editing is the rise of designer babies. If genetic editing is unregulated, it will eventually flow into the reservoir of cosmetics. This will then result in parents leaning towards designer babies, picking and choosing traits such as blonde hair or blue eyes. According to Emily Beitiks, a disability researcher from the University of California,“‘These proposed applications raise social justice questions and put us at risk of reviving eugenics—controlled breeding to increase the occurrence of ‘desirable’ heritable characteristics,”’ (Rathi). Hence, editing genes will become a gateway to designer babies. Allowing for the formation of designer babies will result in the compromise of natural birth and biologically genuine offspring. Not only would the use of …show more content…
Since the technology is still fairly new, procedures that require gene editing may result in the death of the embryo. An example is when it says, “The downside is that cells are pretty fragile. Any current techniques used to get TALENs [gene editing tool] into cells would cause high levels of cell death,” (Wirt). Such a risk is simply not worth taking when a life is in jeopardy. There is also the possibility that such a procedure could affect the mother as well. One of the main reasons for the support of genetic disorders is the ability to cure genetic disorders. As mentioned above, there is no guarantee that the procedure has to work. In addition, if a modification is successful, this altered gene will later be passed onto future generations. Also, since these alterations are only prototypes, they can potentially cause mutations in future generations. Due to this potential danger, genetic editing cannot be depended upon short or long term. Allowing for the editing of genes will only damage lives and leave a long-lasting mark on the natural course of