Blurring The Boundary

We are living is a world where very soon it will be possible for people to create ‘designer babies’ that have all the features they wish for. In the article Building Baby from the Genes Up, Ronald M. Green talks about all the positive impacts that genetic modification of human beings can have on our future generations. Green acknowledges some of the negatives such as parents creating perfect children and being able to give them any trait the parent wants. However in the end he comes to the conclusion that the positive impacts of getting rid of genes that cause obesity, cancer, learning disorders, and many other diseases and disorders, outweighs the negative aspects. Richard Hayes, author of Genetically Modified Humans? No Thanks, takes the stance that we should not be able to change anything about human beings through genetic modification. He believes that once we start modifying a few features, it will slowly turn into every parent altering as many of their babies’ genes that they want. While he does acknowledge the positive impacts of getting rid of negative genes such as Tay-Sachs, he believes that it is not worth the risk of having parents manipulate all their future children’s genes to their liking. Green and Hayes stand on opposite sides of the debate about genetic modification of human beings and this essay will explore the similarities and the differences of their articles.

Gregory Stock, in his article Choosing Our Genes, asserts that at this point not ethics are important, but rather the future of genetic technology. Stock supports his conclusion by providing powerful examples of how genetic modifications can benefit our population anywhere from correcting genes at the time of conception to extending lifespan. He wants to inform his audience about all of the benefits of genetic technology in order to prove that there are way more advantages in this technology that are highly desirable by people of different ages. He reaches his readers by writing a very detailed yet coherent article that brings awareness to various groups of people from parents to be to older populations.

It is incredible to see how far genetic engineering has come. Humans, plants, and any living organism can now be manipulated. Scientists have found ways to change humans before they are even born. They can remove, add, or alter genes in the human genome. Making things possible that humans (even thirty years ago) would have never imagined. Richard Hayes claims in SuperSize Your Child? that genetic engineering needs to have limitations. That genetic engineering should be used for medical purposes, but not for “genetic modification that could open the door to high-tech eugenic engineering” (188). There is no doubt that genetic engineering can amount to great things, but without limits it could lead the human race into a future that no one

“Humans have the will to live, and if gene medicine can improve our lifestyle, then we should be accepting of of this new technology.” In the science fiction novel, Flowers for Algernon, by Daniel Keyes Charlie wants to live a better lifestyle, and wants to become smarter, so he has gene surgery. Gene modification can cure genetic diseases, create a more enhanced human, and enhance our lifestyle. Genetic engineering should be, and can be used, because we can change the future by using it, we can ensure that future generations won’t have to deal with genetic disease, because we eliminated them, or being unintelligent.

Those that oppose human germ-line engineering may argue that in changing the genes of future children, the potential for mistakes is present. “Designer babies” could be born with some sort of defect as an unforeseen result of the engineering, which can then be passed on to the next generation. However, it is important to realize that with every decision come risks and room for mistakes. The idea is that the potential benefits outweigh the possible poor results. In an article for Business Insider, Ellie Kincaid states, “With a couple tweaks to the genome, certain diseases, even ones that aren 't genetic (like HIV), could become a thing of the past.” Over seventy-eight

Eugenics is a topic that puzzled people’s consciousness for decades. Placing worth on a human, an idea that many people find unsettling yet confirms beneficial by evolving our race into an improved species. Today, eugenics appears on a new face with emerging technologies, creating possibilities for scientists to modify people’s DNA. The goal of these methods lies in creating an advanced form of eugenics, with probabilities like modifications to fix health problems and wanted traits, and to create designer babies. Furthermore, scientists started testing this idea of genetic modification, but ended up with mixed results. In a few cases, they accomplished their goal, but others concluded in unexpected problems. Thus, the recent technologies relating

As a species we’ve always looked for ways to be faster, stronger, smarter, and live longer. Many enhancements we take for granted today; blood transfusions, vaccinations, and birth control, seemed unnatural or immoral when first introduced. Yet over time we’ve become accustomed to these controls over our minds and bodies, and have used them to better ourselves and our world. Imagine a society without disease, cancers, or heredity disorders. Life span would increase and IQ raised. Mental illness eliminated. Alzheimer’s gone. Hereditary problems, like baldness eradicated. Technology exists to diagnose flawed DNA in pre-implantation embryos, empowering humans to create a stronger, healthier child. Scientists place a new/modified gene into a

The progression of genetic engineering is inevitable due to its ability to prevent genetic diseases, but with its progression there are ethical concerns that coincides with its development. One such concern will be the enhancement of human traits, as people argue that it violates the right of a baby, as well as “playing god”, and will lead to a eugenic society. However, these argument only provide some truth, as they reflect genetic engineering in a bad light. In the case of violating the baby’s right, genetic enhancement could improve the baby’s success in life and provide some equality in the unfair genetic lottery, but people find it to be in violation of the baby’s right because it is done without the consent of the unborn child. This in

Introduction: Why would anyone want to get sick? Why would anyone want to be born with a low IQ? Why would anyone want to be born with undesirable looks? Genetic modification on the surface seems to be an easy fix to those problems. Everyone can design their own babies and know exactly what they will be good at and what they will look like in 20 years. This is the world of the future. But not the future I want to live in. A future with genetic modification is quite scary due to our lack of knowledge of the long-term effects of genetic modification on humans. Additionally, as per the course of history, genetic modification will be monetized by large companies and only available for the wealthy few. Finally, modifying human genetics in order

The innumerable advances that science had reached in genetic aspects, made us think that there aren’t insurmountable limits to humans. At the same time it causes questions about the dangers they may offer in an increasingly, curious society.

These enhancements would improve basic human cognition and emotions as well as human bodily capacities, but at what cost? The consequences outweigh the pros of altering human genomes. As a nation, we have decided to stray away from such technology that could infringe on our morals. However, it is understood that making a decision for every single human being on Earth is a stretch—some may agree and some may not. Regardless, enhancing our genomes is a phenomenon that many have aimed to one day see come true. Scientists have developed technology and conducted research to one day achieve the idea of changing or creating the perfect human being, but they understand that actually going through with the process brings up whether it is ethically right or not. Whether such a process will help humans become “better,” it is not desired by a mass population. Do these enhancements actually guarantee that humans will become a better and more well-rounded

One of the biggest issues with genetic engineering is that humans are known to turn a good thoughtful purpose into something it was not intended to do (49). A part of genetic engineering that is intended for good purposes is the use of gene therapy. Gene therapy can be helpful one day in curing terminal illnesses such as cancer and diabetes by transferring the genetics of a healthy individual to the debilitated individual, thus helping treat/cure the disease of choice. But, because humans are notorious for turning something useful into something it was not intended for, genetic engineering has been put into an ethical debate. Torres argues that “The drawback to genetic engineering is that it may be used for

In the year of 2013 roughly 7.6 million people died of cancer, 1.5 million people died of AIDS, and another 70,000 of Cystic Fibrosis (“World Cancer Day”; “CF Foundation”). What do all these diseases have in common? Modern medicine has no guaranteed way of curing them. The fact of the matter is that we as a society don 't know much about these, and some other life threatening diseases. As a result, more years of research need to be undergone in order develop unique drugs that may cure these, and other complex diseases . How long do you suppose it will take for a drug to come forth? Five, ten, thirty years? What if it doesn 't even exist? How many people do you suppose will die in the meantime? Now my point is not to make one think that there is no method to curing diseases similar to those previously mentioned. As a matter of fact, my point is to shine light upon a promising method that has been showing results: genetic engineering. With the advancements of science, genetic engineering is becoming a more and more developed procedure that has already saved the lives of those terminally ill. But where one problem is solved, another arises. With the ever growing social prominence of genetic engineering, ethical concerns are reaching a frenzied state. Many are weary of playing God, and the idea of changing one’s genetic makeup seems morally unjust. They see genetic

Genetic engineering is a recent development that has gained tremendous commercial appeal. The potential benefits of genetic engineering have captivated the general public and clouded their moral values. The ultimate goal of genetic engineering is to create a utopian society where problems such as disease and world hunger no longer exist. Genetically engineering humans to be ideal beings may eventually lead to the creation of a “super race.” A super race is a race of strong, healthy, and highly intelligent individuals who contribute to the advancement of society. Despite the attractive potential benefits of the creation of a super race, there are several potential negative consequences that may not all be foreseen by humans. Tenzin Gyatso, the world’s fourteenth Dalai Lama, chimes in on the discussion of genetic engineering in his article, “Ethics and the New Genetics.” He, too, sees the “obvious and wonderful benefits” (Gyatso 132) of genetic engineering; however, he warns his readers of the social, political, and ethical ramifications that may result from genetic engineering. Gyatso reminds humans of the great responsibility that comes with new knowledge and power. In Brian G. Henning’s review of “The Case Against Perfection,” Henning discusses the dangers that may result when humans try to perfect nature. In order to move forward with the technology available, the world needs ethical considerations in regulation of development. In order to make decisions in the area of

A future with no more disease, no more limitations to what we can or cannot do, the making of a superhuman, playing God. Scientists can now make humans better than ever by improving their bodies by changing the cells in your body. Genetic engineering can also prevent long-time diseases from continuing in a family and help treat many illnesses. Though it can help many issues, it brings up many problems if used improperly and often abused. Genetic engineering harbors more moral and ethical issues than having beneficial effects; however, the positive uses in specific situations should be acknowledged.