Making "Better" People: Germline Engineering and Designer Babies

So-called ‘successful' attempts at germ line modification will bring the production of human beings into the world of designer items. The human creations will be subject to the "fashion of the times" just like any other designer item (CRG). Those in favor of germ line manipulation make the assumption that once a gene in a certain condition is found, it is only appropriate and would be reasonably easy

Though it is evident that the concept of “Designer Babies” would prove unpopular amongst the majority of society, there still remains to be advocates for a future compromising of GM children. It is argued that gene technology will bring about a new age of human beings who are happier, smarter and healthier. Supporters look forward to a future when parents could quite literally assemble their children from genes listed in a catalogue. A future in which the health, appearance, personality and life span of our children become mere artefacts of genetic modification.

Human genetic engineering and eugenics have been a largely controversial topic over the past decades. Eugenics can be popularly defined as the science of improving and enhancing a human population or person through manipulating the human genes, selective breeding, and sterilization. The end goal and desired result of eugenics is to basically create a human race or people with more desirable biological, physical, or psychological traits. Eugenics and genetic modification is a current, pressing subject; in April 2015, a group of Chinese researchers, used a new gene-editing technology, called CRISPR to “[tinker] with the genomes of human embryos” (Adams). Presently, according to CQ Researcher, “New genetic technologies allow scientists to delete a mutant gene and insert a healthy one, which…has the potential to eliminate inherited diseases, such as cystic fibrosis.” However, these techniques have only been used on embryos belonging to laboratory animals. The big question here is whether or not science and technology are crossing an ethical boundary by using these techniques and performing genetic modification on human embryos. Do humans have the right to “play God” and alter nature?

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

Parents wish for their children to be perfect and, more so, healthy. Through the advancement of modern technology and science, giving birth to a child of desired hair color, body type, and without any physical or mental ailments could be a reality for all parents, whether or not they are carriers of certain genes. Genetic modification, sometimes called “germline editing,” has the potential to allow for medical doctors and scientists to not only change certain characteristics of a human embryo, but to also alter the future of humanity itself. While this process has many proponents, the modification of the very essence of human life has some people worried. This is, in fact, uncharted territory in the scientific world, and the extent of the possible

Humans desire perfection in everything, even if that means crossing the boundaries of natural life. A new looming untested technology, human genetic modification, raises questions as to whether it will advance human society or cause inconsistencies in the human genome. Essentially, this controversy will effect everyone since it is still early but it is an upcoming topic. Genetic engineering specifically effecting the next generations. Commentators on this debate argue that it will promote the positives of scientific advancements, but others dispute that this raises strong ethical concerns. Genetic engineering has the possibility to cure diseases while furthering modern medicine, but humans would abuse the process by creating a competitive

In society, newly introduced ideas and morals are viewed upon with mixed feelings, including the process of genetic modification, which has yet to prosper or to crumple. The topic of genetic modification is introduced and detailed upon within the articles “Expert Groups Says Embryo Genetic Modification Should Be Allowed” by Will Dunham and “UK Scientists Seek Permission to Genetically Modify Human Embryos” by Ian Sample. They delve upon the idea that the process of genetic modification can be appropriately used in which to prevent certain unnecessary and unwanted diseases from developing, ultimately saving lives, and can provide further insight for human development. Additionally, they discuss the point that genetic modification is still at

All we need to do it change one letter in the genetic code. For example, in the article, “In Praise of Designer Babies”, it states, “‘It would be against nature to treat your child's illness.’ So why is it obvious that we should treat the illness after the child is born, but not prevent the illness beforehand?” It would be silly of us if we did not treat our children if we knew they had a fatal illness. It is superior to help them while they are in the mother, and not watch them suffer as they grow. We might even be able to save countless of kids everywhere, by just changing one adenine, a nitrogen base, even adding or taking away a code. For example, when a child is born with down syndrome will have an extra chromosome or a chromosome with an extra part. We can get into the DNA and delete that extra chromosome to help heal the child. Another instance is, in the same article, text, it says, “Imagine you knew that you carried a gene for a debilitating illness. But, doctors could go into your egg (or your spouse's) and remove that gene…” Just imagine all of the healthy kids that will be able to enjoy their life relating to normal children and being able to do normal activities. Kids can be ecstatic everyday and their overall health all over the world might even improve by so much just by using genetics. Another example is, from the article, “Will Gene Editing Allow Us to Rid the World of Diseases”, it

Genetic engineering is a powerful tool that can be used to accomplish a multitude of tasks. From species population control to ensuring certain traits in a human baby, there isn’t a lot that genetic engineering can’t do. It is becoming more and more acceptable to genetically engineer organisms as our knowledge on the subject grows. There have been experiments manipulating entire ecosystems by introducing a genetically modified organism into it. It’s even possible to change tiny details all the way down to the color eyes a child has. However these developments are not without controversy. Many people claim that changing the genetic make-up of a living being is playing God, and are against it. The works of Kiera Butler, John J. Conley, Ronald Bailey, and Simon Wallace speak on the controversy as well as utility value of genetic engineering.

Finally, my last reason why I do not support genetic engineering is because it will make some people enter a bad emotional state. In the movie GATTACA,when a person was perfect, but then later found out he had mistakes they would enter a suicidal state of mind. This happens because the person thinks they’re perfect but when they realise they are not they think they’re a failure. If we start genetically modifying our children they could experience something similar to this. We should just let everyone be

How would those who couldn’t afford genetic enhancement be treated, and how would over population be handled? I believe we as human beings can never reach perfection, and in our path to get there would we create monsters? We would likely continue to push the boundaries of human perfection by ultimately having a say in the design, or appearance, of our children themselves. I personally can’t imagine living in a world where everyone is expected to be perfect from birth, and what would we do to those who don’t live up to the standard of being perfect? The idea of genetical engineering to perfect human DNA is absolutely horrifying, in our path to create the perfect human, we will likely destroy all the parts of us that make us

When the first trials on humans start it will be harder to adjust your phenotype because they are the genes that your parents give you. Your smarts are phenotype and the only way you will be able to get smart's is if they edit the germ-line. Which then will allow the genes to be passed down generation to generation.

In today’s society, we as 21st-century human beings have loads of technological advancements. We today have luxuries our ancestries would never have imagined. Since the 1950’s humankind was made significant strides in the endeavors of science and technology. The microwave, the World Wide Web, automobiles, and smartphones are just a few examples of the daily advances that had. However, some developments are more controversial than others. Controversial topics include vaccines, stem cell research, GMOs, and the safety of Nuclear power. A new development that is picking up a lot of attention is the ability to edit the human embryos, more commonly known as “Designer babies.” Genetic Modification can make the thought of being able to create a 'perfect' child a reality. “Designer babies” are basically babies that have been genetically modified. All though I personally am for a lot of the scientific progress over the years, this is a subject I cannot agree with. Genetically modified offspring is morally reprehensible and should not be allowed.

We are created in the image of God, if we modify our genes with technology we have, we will lose likeness in him. We are created the way we are for some reason, the purpose of our lives are divine. We should not blame God for giving us hardships in life, he put us in trials because he knows that we will be able to handle it and become a stronger person. No one is perfect; our imperfectness is complementary and made our society perfect. I believe that God has his own plan; there is no point of altering his plan, as he is superior and he will provide us with what he thinks is the

According to “Are biotechnology…,” the science of genetic engineering can be defined as “the process of introducing, eliminating, or changing an organism’s genetic material.” But as this article also states, this idea of editing an organism’s characteristics is nothing new. Selective breeding, for example, has been common in society for a long time. Hitchings mentions the CRISPR-Cas9 gene editing system which is just one example of many different systems available. As this science has gained popularity, ethical concerns have been brought up, along with a debate on if these concerns prove it to be unethical. Although some scientists claim that the medical and economic benefits outweigh the many risks, genetic engineering is not ethical because