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Designing Babies: Genetic Engineering
The rapid development of science and technology has led to an advanced knowledge in the human genome with an increasing ability to change and modify genes to assist people designing babies that suit their wishes in the future. The genetic screening techniques are already being used in some countries where embryos are selected by sex and genes resistance to diseases. The argument in support of genetic engineering is that in the future, scientists will have the ability to replace the faulty genes with healthy DNA genes thereby eradicating the genetic diseases. Through genetic engineering it will be possible to design babies who will be highly intelligent, becoming great leaders and scientists in the future. Additionally, it will be possible to correct genetic diseases passed from generation to generation assisting families to install genes that offer lifelong protection against diseases. Despite the aforementioned benefits suggested by the scientists, some people are against the notion of designing babies through genetic engineering on the ground that it is not ethical. Dozens of countries "have banned germ-line engineering." (Regalado 1). European Unions have also concluded that tampering with genes is a crime against humanity. The utilitarianism principle believes that the net social benefits are derived when social benefits outweigh the social costs. Thus, a utilitarian believes that genetic engineering could be beneficial to society because the technology will improve the quality of human life. However, utilitarian will judge genetic engineering harmful if the costs to society are high. For example, if a genetic engineering causes suffering or disease to society and lowering the quality of life, the costs have outweighed the benefits. With reference to designing babies through genetic engineering, suppose a doctor tells the parents that their embryo may suffer from a serious heart disease, and they are given the option of replacing the genes that are associated with that illness to give birth to a healthy child, a utilitarian will consider this move to be beneficial to society because it is not going to be a burden to the healthcare system leading to the development of a healthy child. The costs of this decision are that the society may view this decision as unethical because they regard the parents tampering with God's will. Mill argues the society ought to put a limit to such experiment because it is a crime against human generation. (Mill, 177)
The objective of this essay is to assess the argument of Mill, Kant and Locke with regards to the issue of designing babies through genetic Engineering if the technology is cheap and free.
Kant, and Locke (or Hobbes) Argument on the use of…
Works Cited
Mill J. S. On Liberty[1859], In Utilitarianism, on liberty, considerations on representative government. London: Everyman.
Parker, M. "The best possible child." Journal of Medical Ethics 33.5 (2007): 279-83. Web.
Regalado, Antonio. "Engineering the Perfect Baby." MIT Technology Review (2015).
Lo, Bernard and Parham, Lindsay. Ethical Issues in Stem Cell Research. Endocr Rev 30.3 (2007): 204 -- 213.
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